Green and Gold
by Assemble-the-Avengers
Summary: When Thor took Loki and the Tesseract back to Asgard, he agreed with the Allfather's decision to punish Loki. Just not with the cruelty that was chosen for him. Thor is left with no choice but to let Loki free and who better to seek refuge with than the girl who offered it to him in the first place. What will happen when Darcy and Loki are forced to coexist.
1. Save yourself from the heartache

**HEY, SO FIRST EVER THOR FIC. DEFINITELY NOT MY FIRST AVENGERS FIC THOUGH. ****_REVIEW PLEASE!_**

Darcy Lewis sighed as she stared across the living room to her best friend. Jane had spent the majority of the time since Thor had left, staring out the only open window with a glassy, pining stare. The younger of the girls hated to admit that she pitied anyone; still, she couldn't help but confess to herself that she felt sorry for her. Jane had become like a sister to Darcy; she felt what Jane felt. On an empathetic level at least. Thor had been gone for three months and it was eating at Jane, bit by bit. Darcy had been forced to watch as Jane grew sadder with each passing day following Thor and his brother's departure with the Tesseract. First Thor, then Selvigg – the exodus of the scientist's father figure had started the downward spiral, giving Darcy cause to resent the man she had once looked up too.

"I'm going to bed." Jane's tired voice interrupted her train of thought. Darcy looked up, following Jane's hunched figure with sad eyes.

"Okey dokey, see ya in the morning." Darcy called loudly in an attempt to give the situation a hint of normalcy. Jane weakly raised her hand over her shoulder in acknowledgment, disappearing through the fogged-glass bedroom door. The neutrality of the overall crème color of their house's walls was somewhat oppressing, mirroring the New Mexico sky and not helping the mood of its two inhabitants.

The shutters over the window were shut tightly as they always were, unyielding in their duty of shutting out the light that Jane insisted was blinding. She had always preferred the tempest to the calm. Foggy-glassed doors lined the gloomy hallway that lead away from the kitchen, the first two of the five belonging to the girls. The second hallway was lined with two bathrooms and a closet, all guarded with identical glass doors. Darcy rose from the couch with her iPod clutched in her hand, turning off the lights that she passed as she padded towards her bedroom.

Pushing her door open, she sighed contentedly at her disorganized sanctuary of a bedroom. The armoire, closet doors, headboard, and desk were all painted the same shade of crème as the rest of the house but that was the only hint of the confining color. The rest of her room was decorated to fit her taste – pale green walls were covered in her photography, certificates, posters and artwork. Her stark white laptop stood out in contrast to her gold embroidered bedspread and her dark green pillows were strewn around the room where she had tossed them in her sleep. Her gold lamp shade hung at an odd angle beside her alarm clock where she had accidently managed to hit it instead of the snooze button. Finally, her black Bose sound system, her baby, sat in the corner, waiting to be used.

Darcy shut her door behind her, immediately gravitating towards her expensive speaker set – a 'gift' she had insisted SHIELD owed her for stealing her belongings. She plugged her iPod in, relaxing slightly as the playing music drowned her tension, even if only for a short period of time. Falling backwards on her bed, she skillfully avoided landing on her laptop, pulling it into her lap as she scooted back against the headboard of her bed. The game she had been playing before Jane had called her for breakfast blinked to life and Darcy hit _replay _without hesitation.

She had managed to make it through four rounds before she felt herself nodding off to sleep. Closing her laptop, she rolled over on her side, tucking her head under her arms and listening carefully for any telltale sounds of Jane's nightmares that she so often found herself having to interrupt. The other side of the wall was deafeningly silent and Darcy smiled, it was one of the better nights; that much had been made clear when Jane made an effort to cook breakfast in the first place. Darcy's meal of choice had recently become _Cup 'o noodles _when Jane had decided to stop fixing her food.

Thunder cracked through the sky, once again interrupting her ramblings. She let the unusual weather drift to the back of mind and irritably continued rambling on in her head. If she was being honest with herself, she also kind of missed their resident god. And not only because he was undeniably **_hot_**. And occasionally shirtless. But because he had become her friend. More of an acquaintance considering they had known each other for all of three days, but a friend none the less. And seriously, how many people could say they were friends with an Asgardian thunder god? Three people exactly. And she knew each of them personally.

Thunder echoed in the sky again, going unnoticed by the girl attempting to fall asleep. It took three seconds for her to put two and two together before she shot up in her almost regal looking bed. She raced across her room to the stereo system, throwing her fist into the off button on her way to the window. The golden curtains were ripped open, giving Darcy Lewis a clear view of what she had so eloquently taken to calling the hyper-gay-rainbow-bridge-dump. Clouds swirled overhead like the beginning of a tornado. It never rained in Puente Antigo. Never. Only once before in the last ten years, and that was during the breakdown of a certain thunder god.

Light cut through the sky, breaking up the developing storm cloud. The light reached a brilliance that she had only seen once. And that was as a result of the unpronounceable rainbow bridge.

"_Jane!" _she screeched, sprinting backwards and tearing her coat off of its hook behind her door.

"I know!" her friend shouted back. "Get the van, I'll meet you out there." She ordered, poking her head around the corner with the first smile she had worn in months. Darcy swiped the keys off the counter, bolting out the front door with little attention to the fact that she hadn't even bothered to slam it behind her.

The engine of their van revved to life with a groan, lurching backwards as Darcy slammed her foot down on the gas pedal. Jane swung into the passenger seat, smacking Darcy's arm as a way of telling her to go. Darcy sped off in the direction of the hyper-gay-rainbow-light-stream, only allowing the car to screech and skid to a halt when they were yards from the spot where they had seen the intricate pattern carved into the dirt the first time they had met Jane's boyfriend. Jane had thrown herself out of the car before the car had even come to a proper stop, racing to the very edge of what she had laid out for Darcy and Selvigg as the 'safe-zone', staring up at the sky with the most heartbreakingly hopeful expression that Darcy had ever seen. The light cut through the foggy night sky again and Jane shielded her eyes, reluctantly looking away from the truly blinding light.

Only this time, when Jane and Darcy looked back, not one, but two forms lie sprawled out in the patterned ground.

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	2. She finds beauty in the saddest of faces

"_Thor!" _she shouted, moving to lunge towards the bodies in the center of the circle. Darcy shot forward, catching her friend's arm and shaking her head. Jane wrenched her arm out of Darcy's grasp, running forward despite the other girl's warnings. Jane repeated his name over and over as she ran to meet him, drawing his attention with a too bright smile. Thor finally looked up once he heard her over the booming claps of thunder his anguish was undoubtedly causing. Jane barreled into him with a force that would've knocked any mortal person flat on their back. Thor caught her effortlessly and held her in his lap as she sobbed into his chest, half his focus on the woman he had missed more than he had missed his father when he thought him dead, the other half trained on the other writhing body beside them. He hushed Jane to the best of his ability, holding her as tight as he dared with his god-like strength in mind.

Darcy approached slowly, carefully, unwilling to break the moment but as her curiosity got the better of her, she couldn't help but move towards the three people.

"Who's that?" she asked blankly, pointing like a child at the curled up and shaking body, efficiently breaking the moment for Thor and Jane. Thor blinked, looking up at the obnoxiously familiar girl towering over their slouched forms.

"Lady Darcy," he greeted politely. Darcy fumbled over her feet to curtsy properly, internally defending herself with the reminder that it was one thirty in the morning. On a Saturday. She had a right to be more clumsy than usual.

"Thor," she replied respectfully. "Now… who's that?" she repeated awkwardly, pointing again.

"I am a god, you insolent mortal, and I will not…" the second man's overly dramatic rant was cut off with a groan of pain as he writhed on the ground again, his allowed moment of reprieve over before it started. Thor winced.

"Jane, Miss Darcy, this is my brother, _Loki." _He explained, gesturing sheepishly at the obviously in pain god to their right.

"I am _not _your brother!" Loki disagreed, howling in pain once again. Thor clapped a gentle hand over the dark haired man's mouth, stifling his outbursts in case they were discovered, an event that no one had the ability to deal with at that moment.

"Loki… As in… _Loki _Loki?" Darcy shrieked, jumping back.

"Yes," Thor confirmed, staring pointedly at the ground. "May we leave? I will explain everything, but my brother requires medical attention."

"No. No, no, no, no. No." Darcy denied furiously, shaking her head to punctuate each word.

"Darcy," Jane chided, leaning away from Thor's chest. "Even if he wanted to try enslaving the world and everyone in it _again_, he's practically dying in the dirt. I'm not his biggest fan either but…" Jane argued calmly.

"I refuse to be discussed about as though I am not present." Loki choked angrily. His oncoming threat fell flat when he flinched, collapsing backwards again with a muffled cry.

"Silence." Thor barked, glaring angrily. Jane reached up and rested her hand against Thor's cheek, staring him dead in the eye with a calm expression. Thor's tensed muscles relaxed under her gaze as he moved his hand to pull hers away.

"Loki can come back with us." Jane allowed. Darcy's head whipped around to glare at Jane.

"No. No he can_not. _My house too. And I say _no." _She shrieked. One of Loki's hands came up shakily to cover his ear and he glared painfully at the girl with the ear piercing volume.

"I am sorry to have to go against your wishes, Lady Darcy, but I must get my brother somewhere safe. I _will _explain." He boomed apologetically as he picked Jane and himself up off the floor. Jane clung to his hand until he slid out of her grasp, reaching down for his brother.

"Do not touch me!" he shouted weakly, shrinking away from the blonde god's outstretched hand.

"Loki…" Thor sighed exhaustedly. Darcy groaned, stomping closer to the two gods.

"Look, just a suggestion but I think you should _put up and shut up._ Because from what I see, he saved you." She grumbled, narrowing her eyes menacingly.

"I listen to no mortal!" he replied angrily.

"And I chose today of all days to forget my taser." She pouted, turning away from the stubborn man. Loki's head fell back and his teeth gritted in pain, cutting off his biting reply to the irritating human girl.

"Do what you must." He allowed, squeezing his emerald green eyes closed. Thor slipped one abnormally muscled arm under Loki's knees and the other behind his back. The black haired god's eyes flashed open in a mixture of embarrassment, anger, and pain that had flared to an unbearable point at Thor's touch. But he stood his ground and kept silent, if only to retain whatever pride he had managed to hold onto.

Thor paused in front of the back of the van his face had become so acquainted with, staring expectantly at the girls.

"Oh. Oh!" Jane realized, lurching forward to pull open the back door. Thor gently laid Loki down on the floor of the van, wincing when the pain in his brother's eyes skyrocketed.

"For the love of-" he cried, throwing his head back in gut wrenching pain. The hidden plea for reprieve in his tone caused shivers to run through Jane and Darcy. Thor's countenance darkened as he reached around Jane to slam the back door shut, waving Jane around to the driver's seat.

Jane scrambled into the seat, turning the keys in the ignition. Darcy flung open the passenger seat but was immediately stopped with a glare from Jane. The glare intensified until Darcy backed away, making room for the god of thunder to steal her seat.

"Replaced." She coughed under her breath, tossing a heated stare over her shoulder. "So I have to sit with Liar-Liar-Green-and-Gold-cape-on-fire back there?" she whined, jerking her thumb over her shoulder.

"Darcy." Jane sighed in exasperation.

"Ok, ok." Darcy huffed in compliance.

Throughout the ten minute ride, which could arguably be considered the longest ten minutes of Darcy's life, she had attempted to join Jane and Thor's conversation multiple times by scooting up in her seat and poking her head between the two. One look from Jane sent Darcy slinking back into her corner beside the writhing god.

The silence that had fallen over the car was only punctured by the soft murmurs of the two forbidden lovebirds in the front, and the agonized god in the back. Each time Jane drove over something that caused the car to lurch, Loki's cries became more and more audible.

"The skills with which you steer this vehicle are absolutely appalling, you incompetent mortal." Loki panted contemptuously. Darcy rolled her eyes and Jane's grip on the steering wheel tightened.

"Loki." Thor warned loudly. Loki hissed through his gritted teeth, sounding like something akin to a snake.

"We're here." Jane interrupted. This time it was Darcy who flew out of the car without hesitation. "Get him inside." She murmured, biting her lip as she stared at her completely exhausted looking boyfriend. Thor nodded once, his outgrown blonde hair spilling down in front of his face as he climbed out of the car.

"Try to keep your cries to a minimum volume, brother; I will be as gentle as I can." Thor sighed tiredly. Loki's eyes flashed.

"I received beatings at the hand of Calder! I was tortured by Haldane under the orders of my own father! I fell from the Bifrost and you believe-!" he ranted angrily, breathing heavily with the increasing weight weighing down on his chest.

"I remember, Loki! How could you think I would not? Can you conjure up any other intention for my betraying father?" Thor spat angrily, glaring menacingly at his brother. Loki remained silent. "Brace yourself." The blonde muttered warningly as he slid Loki out of the van. Loki bit his tongue in a desperate attempt to keep quiet as every movement pulled at every broken bone, every abused limb and ligament. But as Thor suddenly stumbled under the suddenly dead weight of his brother, dropping Loki to the ground, the dark haired god collapsed into a shaking ball of tormented agony. Darcy and Jane shot forward, Jane to Thor and Darcy to the reluctantly weeping liar.

Jane crouched below Thor's doubled form, shadowed by his wide heaving chest. Her hands locked around his neck and her thumbs caressed his cheeks, compelling him to meet her gaze. His apologetic eyes followed his own hand as he brought it to his right shoulder. Jane moved to replace his pressure with hers, only to jerk her hand away, covered in blood. She gasped, standing to help him into an upright position.

Darcy had lowered to her knees, wary of the damage the red dirt would do to her new white sweatpants. Her hands hovered uselessly over Loki's body as he groaned weakly, unsure of what she should or could do.

"Don't touch me." He growled, turning his head away from Darcy to hide what she had already seen; beautiful green eyes, watering in response to the peaking pain.

"You should probably put some pressure on that…" she nodded towards the deep gash in his shoulder. "Wouldn't want you bleeding out." She muttered uselessly.

"_I cannot die, you petulant child." _He snarled.

"Jeez dude. Take a chill." She chastised, raising her hands in surrender.

"I am not familiar with that phrase." He wheezed, realizing that the annoying girl was proving as a sufficient distraction.

"It means calm down." She explained.

"Darcy!" she heard Jane shout in panic. The bespectacled girl's head whipped around to find her friend leading curled over Thor to the house. "Take care of Loki." The request was more a warning order, a dare for Darcy to disobey than anything else. Loki scowled. Darcy reached for the god of lies with an exasperated sigh.

He caught her hand in a bone crushing grip, breathing labored again since he had shifted his position.

"Not yet." He nearly begged, staring up at her with moon lit jade eyes. Darcy hesitated until she saw the fear lurking behind his façade. He was tired and afraid of the excruciating pain and Darcy couldn't help the sympathy that filled her as she nodded. He closed his eyes and let his raised arm fall weakly, screeching in pain when it landed on his broken ribcage. His cries echoed softly in his throat even after Darcy had gripped his wrist gently from where he was still clasping her hand, and moved it off of his chest.

"Hey," she murmured. "Hey, it's ok." She didn't allow herself to consider how he would react to being comforted by a mortal. Didn't allow herself to wonder why she was comforting a murderer in the first place. Didn't really even think as she reached out to brush his jet black bangs out of his eyes. But she didn't regret it as he quieted, eyes closing. The only indication of his discomfort now being his heavy breathing. She wondered briefly how his skin could be so warm to the touch despite his frozen blood but ignored it in the end, settling back in the dirt with her hand tracking through the god's hair, a singled question repeating itself in her head.

_Why was she doing this? _

**_THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THOSE WHO REVIEWED THE LAST CHAPTER. YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME. SO OBVIOUSLY I DECIDED TO CONTINUE. AND I WILL AS LONG AS Y'ALL ARE STILL INTERESTED. _**

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	3. But still she stays

**SORRY IF SOME OF YOU ARE BORED OF THIS, I SEE HOW IT COULD POSSIBLY BE CONSTRUED AS FILLER FLUFF BUT STICK WITH ME. IT'LL PICK UP SOON. **

Darcy was doing her best to refrain from flexing her numb fingers; Loki had finally managed to get his pained breathing under control but his crushing grip on her hand hadn't slackened in the slightest and her hand had lost all feeling, slowly turning white. She coughed a little and one of his eyes cracked open and he glanced at her screwed up eyes. His white fingers suddenly released her hand, and Darcy blew out a breath, shaking out her hand.

"My apologies." He breathed quietly.

"Don't worry about it." She brushed it off, working to massage feeling back into her palm. "You ready to get inside?" she questioned, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly, contemplating how he would react. She had quickly learned that he was unpredictable in his responses. One sharp nod set the fire streaming throughout his body again.

"As I'll ever be." He choked. He had honestly tried to be polite but the strain that the pain was putting on his body forced the reply past his teeth, giving it a disrespectful tone. Darcy nodded.

"You can call me Darcy, you know." She grunted as she pushed herself out of the dirt.

"Darcy?" he repeated, gasping between staggered breaths. He hadn't had enough energy to deny the offered distraction.

"Darcy Lewis, actually. At your service." She joked, as she prepared to heave him into an upright position.

"I believe I'm at your mercy, am I not, Miss Lewis?" he corrected quietly, nodding for her to take his hands.

"You're the god." She shrugged, rocking back on her heels to pull him forward. She scrambled closer to him, throwing her hand over his mouth to muffle the scream of pain that would undoubtedly call unwanted attention. The god, who was obviously new to showing weakness but in the face of such pain couldn't bring himself to care, leaned into the mortal's hand letting his cry die out in her palm. Darcy gently let her arm curl around his back, barely even touching the fluttering fabric of his cape while he regained his shaky composure. "Can't you just do some voo-doo and transport yourself inside?" she asked impatiently, hoping to distract him with her ignorance.

"My weakened state is not capable of such feats." He replied after a moment, gratefully accepting her attempt.

"Well that blows." She huffed, scooting around and sliding her arms under his.

"Blows?" he rose an eyebrow, choosing not to think about the pain that would come with a weak mortal dragging his broken body over rocks and dirt. "I fail to see how the properties of wind relate to my inability to perform magic."

_3…2…1… _

Darcy counted down in her head before she lifted him, grunting under the weight of his armor and muscle.

"Blows; meaning unfortunate, a setback, a disappointment." She rattled off. Loki saw black spots in his vision when she hauled him up as the pain hit it's all time worst. The trickster's energy dissipated with the draining agony, giving him no strength to even cry out. Darcy bit her lip and fluidly ducked under what she had soon realized was the less injured of his arms.

"I see." He muttered so quietly that Darcy hardly heard him even in the dead silence of early morning in Puente Antigo.

Then she stumbled, her grip tightening instinctively around him. Loki inhaled sharply before he promptly blacked out – his body had finally, _finally _had enough.

"You have _got _to be kidding me." Darcy groaned under his suddenly dead weight. She shifted him under her arm, forcing one foot in front of the other, slowly but surely dragging him into the house.

Once she had managed to pull him over the threshold, around the glass coffee table, skillfully avoiding the patterned rug that seemed to be just waiting to trip her, and succeeded in not knocking his already impaired being into the edge of the chair, she lowered him as gently as she was capable onto the cushions of the navy blue couch. With the intent of obtaining the first aid kit, she shuffled into the bathroom only to gag at the smell and sight of blood that seemed to permeate the hallway once she'd opened the door. She held her breath, gathering the scattered items of the first aid kit into her arms, hurrying out as quickly as she could. As she walked back towards their second resident god, she remembered his fever and paused in the kitchen to wet a folded towel, slinging over her shoulder once she had with little regard for the wellbeing of her shirt.

Darcy dragged the coffee table closer and let the first aid kit fall to the floor, perching herself on the edge of the glass counter top. With a yawn she smoothed the towel over his forehead in a halfhearted attempt to curb his mounting fever. It would do little good she knew but she wasn't a doctor. She had no idea what she was doing and she couldn't even begin until he woke. Propping her elbow on her knee, she cupped her chin with her palm, staring at the hardly ever peaceful seeming god of lies.

His unblemished face seemed even more beautiful without his trademark sneer. Darcy wasn't as daft as she made herself out to be. She didn't deny that Thor was gorgeous and she wasn't about to deny the same for Loki. His sweat-soaked, recently hacked short, jet black hair clung to his pale forehead, framing his face even more. His lips which usually exhibited a vindictive smirk rested in a thin line pressed tightly together against the pain that his twitching suggested he still felt in his unconscious state.

Darcy's blinking slowed to a point where she had started to doubt her ability to keep them open much longer when she felt her cheek slipping from her hand.

Loki when mercilessly dragged into consciousness again, gasping as the pain which had been diminished during his black out slammed into him without warning, startling the half asleep girl at his side. Momentarily, the prospect of her remaining with him while he slept genuinely diverted his attention and not just because of the burning need to escape the pain but because no one apart from his mother had ever _stayed _with him.

"How're you feeling, Mischief?" she yawned. Guilt stabbed the god of lies in the chest, unwarranted, before he could stop the unwanted emotion. He didn't feel guilt. Especially not towards a meager mortal.

_She is exhausted, _the diminutive yet caring part of his brain argued, _because of you. Tell her your fine. Tell her to go to bed. _He shoved away the compassionate thoughts, locking them away to be analyzed later.

"I feel as though I have gone a round with an angry Bilgesnipe." He spat.

"A what?" she cocked her head dumbly.

"Bilgesnipe…is a monster…which we have…on Asgard." He explained quietly, closing his eyes.

"Got it." Darcy hummed. "Uh, so, hate to break it to you dude, but we've got some stuff to deal with." She mumbled, gesturing vaguely over the length of his body.

"I expected as much, mortal." He grumbled rudely. Darcy rolled her eyes.

"Back to that are we?" she scoffed, taking his arm to cradle in her lap.

"My apologies, _Lady Darcy." _He corrected, slamming his eyes shut for the second time.

"No 'lady', just Darcy. I am the farthest thing from a lady that Ear-" she cleared her throat as she set about cleaning the gashes in his arm. "-Midgard has to offer." She corrected, tightening her grip on his wrist when he tried to flinch away from the stinging she was inflicting.

"Alright. Darcy then." He conceded, doing his best to relax his muscles as they had tensed in an attempt to counteract the pain tearing through every inch of him.

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	4. Go now before it's too late

Darcy carried on rubbing away the smeared blood, blinking the urge to sleep out of her eyes. She met Loki's eyes on occasion, only to find him already staring at her curiously. She couldn't help but consider whether he was planning her demise or something else entirely.

Loki, in fact, was not planning how best to dispose of the surprisingly…_pleasant_ mortal. That fact in and of its self should have made him wonder just how high his fever had really gotten. But it didn't. The pain had drained him of virtually all vitality, hardly leaving enough for the god to even bother caring about his new found interest in this particular mortal. He found himself studying her, intently memorizing each faucet of her features. '_Distraction' _was the only explanation he offered the raging part of his mind. Brunette waves framed her face, the darkness of her hair somehow setting off her eyes which he had duly noted were their own unique shade of bright blue. His eyes moved on, almost immediately stopped short by her lips. Full, almost heart-shaped lips, that never seemed to close or cease their talking.

Darcy had been growing steadily more and more uncomfortable under Loki's scrutinizing stare. His eyes had spent the majority of the last twenty minutes roving over her face, but surprisingly never moving lower than that. She had cleaned up his arms to the best of her ability and carefully wrapped the more injured of his wrists, every part of his body that was left uncovered by his green and gold tunic. She cleared her throat after a few minutes of stoically letting him analyze her, drawing his attention in the least painful way she could think of.

"Yes?" he acknowledged wearily, blinking up at her lazily.

"Take your clothes off." She ordered forwardly.

"I beg your pardon?" he raised an eyebrow in surprise. Darcy sighed in annoyance.

"Clothes. Off." She repeated. "I have to get a look at the rest of your injuries." She explained, pushing her hair back and out of her eyes. Loki hesitated, the same latent fear filling his eyes that proved to Darcy just how much he _hurt_. "Sorry." She glanced away.

"Your apologies are unnecessary." He replied, easing a deep breath into his chest.

"You can ask for help, you know." She noted as she watched him struggle to sit up.

"I do not require help from a mortal." He shot back angrily. Darcy rolled her eyes at his dramatics and made a show of leaning back to watch. "Kærligheten til alle far regler!" he cried through gritted teeth, his arm flying up to brace his chest as he pushed himself upright.

"I offered." She defended, sympathy clouding the intended snark. His burning green eyes flashed to hers impatiently. His intact arm moved from his chest to unbutton the clasps holding his cloak together at the front.

Darcy blinked.

She blinked again.

Her jaw dropped in sync with the god's shirt and again, she blinked.

A low whistle blew past her teeth and Loki smirked. Women had gawked at him before but none had been as impressed with his physique as this one mortal girl was. Especially those who had ever laid eyes on his brother before. And he knew for a fact that Darcy had. He had seen it in her eyes when she had first seen them after they had landed. For a reason that he had no desire to identify, this realization made her awe all that much more…intriguing. His breathing faltered as he did his best to straighten his posture so that she could get a better look at the black and purple bruises peppering his skin, undoubtedly covering up more than a few broken ribs. She motioned for him to lean forward, and she pulled his bare chest against her shoulder, forcing him to brace himself against shoulder with a groan.

"Quick question," she drawled. "What's the shiny stuff in your back?" she asked, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Well, taking into consideration the excruciating pain its causing, I'm going to rightfully assume its shards of uru." He replied tightly.

"Oo-ra-what now?" she replied dryly.

"Uru. An ore which we have on Asgard. It's what Thor's hammer, Odin's spear, Calder's staff, and essentially all other weapons on Asgard, are constructed from." He explained nonchalantly. "Its commonly found on Niflheim and is therefore not a Aesir mineral. Hence, the reaction my body is showing to it."

"Calder… As in-" she realized softly.

"Yes. As in the man in charge of my punishment." He confirmed darkly.

"Oh." She muttered. "Well, um, I should probably get it out." She stuttered. He nodded sharply against her shoulder.

She reached behind her and set a metal petri dish on the couch's back rest, hesitantly testing the weight of the tweezers in her small and slightly shaking fingers.

"This might hurt." She warned carefully, eyeing him nervously.

"I assure you, I have had worse, Darcy." He replied easily. She averted her gaze and clenched her fists around the metal tool to still the shaking. "I trust in your abilities. You've done well." Darcy stared blankly, surprise leaking into her blue eyes. "Thus far." He added rudely. She nodded sardonically, smirking.

"Lean forward, Trix." She demanded, stifling a yawn behind her hand. He stiffly leaned against her shoulder, shutting his eyes against the impending pain.

"I am unversed in that term." He punctuated the statement with a whimper stifled in Darcy's shoulder as she dug the tweezers in his back.

"It's the name of a rabbit that's kinda like a symbol for this breakfast food." She muttered into his ear.

"Why…would breakfast…need a…_symbol? Valhalla." _He groaned, fingers clenching painfully into Darcy's arm. She yelped.

"To get kids to buy the product." She continued as she dug pieces of metal out of his back.

They went on like that until each shard of uru was removed and dropped into the metal dish with a twang. She taped gauze over the deepest gouges and helped him lean back against the arm rest. She cleared the contents of the first aid kit out of the immediate area, and knelt down beside the couch. Loki watched her eyelids flutter, guilt piercing his heart again.

"You should sleep, Miss Lewis." He prompted.

"Darcy." She yawned. "Just…just Darcy." She pillowed her head on her arms that were folded on the couch cushions and fell asleep almost immediately. Loki's lips twitched upwards in the beginning of a smile before he wiped all traces off of his face.

What trickery was this mortal using against him that could possess him to feel something, if it were anything which he was adamantly refusing to admit, for her. He had become acquainted with this woman less than three hours ago and she was already making her way under his skin.

His mind was more advanced than many, even by Asgardian standards and he couldn't rap his head around it, nor could he come up with a solution.

Thor and Jane staggered into the living room, Thor's muscled arm thrown over his small girlfriend's shoulder only for both of them to stop short at the sight of Darcy using a shirtless Loki's arm as a pillow.

"I suppose I can explain the circumstances after they have gotten a sufficient amount of rest." Thor hedged, looking down at Jane. She giggled quietly and then stopped abruptly.

"He is not allowed anywhere near her." Jane snarled suddenly.

"Agreed." Thor laughed his booming laugh and led his woman back to the bedroom they had just emerged from.

**ALL DONE LOKI HURTAGE. **

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	5. You've fallen in love in the worst way

"So… not to be _rude _or anything, but why are you guys here?" Darcy covered her mouth as she yawned.

"I believe this has been delayed long enough, and you both deserve an answer." Thor sighed. Loki rolled his eyes; _dramatics._ "Upon our return to earth, Loki was, as expected taken into custody until his hearing." He started, eyes cast downwards. "He was imprisoned for one week before a decision was made. He was to face Asgardian _justice,_" Thor spat the word contemptuously. "through torture. The all-father believed that pain was the only way to make Loki see what he had done was wrong. Within nine days of our return, my brother was chained to the wall in Calder's quarters and beaten at my father's command." He took a deep breath and Loki tensed. "Calder is a distant descendent of Skadi, the goddess of pain. He fled as a child to escape his mother's constant wrath and upon pleading his case to Odin, was accepted into Asgard. When Loki refused to apologize despite Calder doing his worst," both brother's shuddered and Loki curled in on himself, if only slightly. "Calder called in a favor. Haldane, Calder's more powerful, older brother was more than willing to join in the act of tormenting my brother for the price of nothing less than a home in Asgard. Haldane was stronger than even myself and used his strengths and powers against Loki. My brother was rendered unconscious within mere minutes of the first round with Haldane. I was no longer able to stand by and watch as our own father encouraged this treatment of his own son. So I planned to escape to Midgard with Loki. I was engaged in battle with Calder, who at the time was guarding Loki…"

"Is that how you got hurt?" Darcy asked softly. Thor nodded gravely.

"I escaped with Loki and convinced Heimdall to help us. He tried to explain that it was not in his power to transport us, though I knew him to be lying. Under father's orders no doubt. I pleaded with him and eventually convinced him to let us pass. I hoped that you, Jane, and Lady Darcy would be willing to accommodate us. If we are any inconvenience, we will leave at once." The thunder god finished, locking eyes with both women.

"Whoa." Darcy whispered in shock. "I'm good with Thunder and Mischief staying, if you are?" she shrugged at Jane. The older girl smiled gratefully. "On one condition." She added.

"And what would that be?" Loki asked dryly.

"I get to see mew-mew and you do your lightning-storm-thing again." She grinned impishly.

"What is a _mew-mew?_" Loki asked warily.

"She refers to Mjolnir." Thor explained. Loki nodded understandingly. "I accept your terms." He winked. "Thank you, Lady Darcy." He added sincerely.

"Good, now that's settled. I have to tell SHIELD you're back." Jane grumbled. Loki shot up on the couch faster than was strictly healthy for his injuries. The small sob of pain that tore from his throat confirmed was Darcy expected to happen.

"You cannot." He protested once he'd gotten his breathing under control.

"I won't tell them you're here." Jane waved him off. "You should come, Thor. It will soften Fury and Coulson up." She grumbled as she got up from the couch.

"Can I go?" Darcy asked halfheartedly.

"Coulson hates you." Her friend deadpanned. "And someone needs to watched Loki." She continued. "Ready to go?" she asked Thor over her shoulder. He nodded and got up to follow his girlfriend. "We'll be back soon. Behave." She glared, slamming the door behind her.

"Yes mom!" Darcy shouted sarcastically at the closed door.

"So, what do you want to…?" she asked started to ask Loki with her back to him, only to turn around and find the couch vacant. "Crap." She groaned. "I turn my back for five seconds." She broke into a tired run towards her hallway, turning into her room.

"What are these?" an almost British voice asked curiously. Darcy skidded to a stop and breathed a sigh of relief, slapping the god's shoulder.

"They're movies. Like plays on tv, kind of." She explained, nodding to the shelf of movies that Loki was analyzing. "Can you try _not _to disappear on me, every time I turn around?" she snarled. He tipped his head apologetically.

"Could we watch one of these _movies, _while we await Thor and Jane's return?" he asked innocently.

"Sure." She shrugged, picking one of the loose disks off of the shelf. She waved Loki over as she dropped down onto her unmade bed, pushing the movie into the disk drive of her laptop. Loki stiffly lowered himself onto the untidy mass of sheets, and leaned against the headboard while Darcy queued up Beauty and the Beast. She balanced the laptop on a pillow between them, moving to recline against the wall as the movie started. Loki stole occasional glances at the peculiar brunette, though she didn't seem notice as she was so engrossed in the animated film he had asked to watch. Her half lidded eyes reflected the show and her lips had twitched up in a seemingly permanent almost-smile.

About an hour into the movie when Loki was finally paying attention, Darcy's head lolled to the side. The god of trickery leaned sideways to support her, letting the songs from the screen drift to the back of his mind. She was terribly difficult to get along with, but he had a feeling that's why he enjoyed her company so much. Loki was honest enough with himself, even for a god of lies, to admit that he was almost…attracted to her. It was terrifying to realize that he was possibly developing feelings for a mortal. He had been involved with goddesses, Aesir maids and demi-gods before, but not once had he even begun to have legitimate feelings for anyone.

He had no intention to start now.

Loki had every intention to get out of the bed and move to the couch. Every intention in the world. But he couldn't bring himself to move for whatever reason.

_Magic. _

The illogical answer came to him easily.

_She is a mortal, she does not possess those powers. _

The rational part of his brain argued. He was growing weak. Whether or not it was only for this human, he wasn't sure.

**I DIDNT LIKE THIS CHAPTER ALL THAT MUCH BUT LET ME KNOW WHAT Y'ALL THOUGHT. **

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	6. You're in too deep

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Loki wasn't healing. His wounds were barely even fading. His broken bones were healing at human pace, but the gashes he had insisted only needed to be wrapped had been bleeding sluggishly since the accident. He should've been healed by sun up. But he wasn't.

"Howzit comin Green and Gold?" Darcy asked blankly from the other side of the bathroom door keeping her out.

"I'm perfectly capable, human. I don't need your help." He spat for the thousandth time in the last four days.

"You're bleeding out on my bathroom floor, stupid. I'm the only one here. Open the freakin door." Darcy huffed indignantly. Loki sighed, moving his blood smeared hand away from his abdomen and flicking his wrist. The locked clicked and the door swung open revealing a peeved looking mortal in the doorway. "Smart move." She sneered, glaring down at him. He winced from his seat on the floor against the edge of the bath tub and her glare softened. The brunette knelt at the god's side _again_, and pried his hands away, efficiently transferring the blood to her hands as she fingered over the inflamed skin around the gash in his side. "You probably need stitches." She muttered detachedly.

"Well then," Loki responded expectantly.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa _whoa_. No." Darcy held her hands up in surrender with wide eyes. "Yeah no, I didn't mean _me." _She pushed her hair back and grimaced when she felt blood brush across her forehead.

"And why not, Miss Darcy?" he asked quietly.

"_Loki._" She gasped incredulously, throwing her hands up. "I'm not…qualified!" she argued frantically. He leant forward until his lips were hovering near her ear and his chest was pressed up against her shoulder.

"Or are you just afraid of blood, Darcy?" he whispered. She shivered.

"I've been cleaning you up since you got here. It's not the blood." She scoffed.

"What then?" he hissed in her ear. "You can't hurt me human."

"I hate you, mischief." She coughed hoarsely.

"You should." He responded quietly.

"Not because of…Oh shut up and sit still. I'll be back." Darcy pushed off the floor only to be pulled back down to the floor. "What?" she asked impatiently. "What are you…?" he moved his hand above her forehead, and she looked quickly in the mirror to see her face clean of blood. "You're annoying."

"So I've been informed." He laughed lowly then shoed her out. Darcy rolled her eyes and almost ran into Thor as she turned out of the bathroom.

"Lady Darcy." He tipped his head. "How is my brother?" he asked stiffly.

"Python's still not healing." She shrugged. Thor's forehead crinkled in concern.

"About that…" Jane said, materializing from behind Thor. "I did some research and there's some myths as to why a god wouldn't heal." Jane hedged.

"You can go nerd out about that with Thunder-head and I'm going to go stitch up the hole in Snape's side."

"Python? Snape?" Thor cocked his head to the side in total confusion.

"A python is a snake, and Snape is a teacher from a book about witches and wizards….Oh never mind, honey." Jane laughed, patting Thor's arm at his frustrated look, stretching up on her tip toes to kiss him. Darcy shook her head as she walked away, into the rarely entered office for her ten year old sewing kit.

"Took you long enough." Loki growled as she slipped in and shut the door behind her.

"I'm doing this for you Half-blood." She shot back. She threaded the needle and glared a hole into her shaking hand. She hesitated and bit her lip in contemplation. "Lie down." She instructed. Loki obeyed surprisingly. "You ready?" she asked.

"You are incapable of hurting me." He reminded.

"No?" she asked sarcastically.

"No." he confirmed. He grunted as she slipped the needle through the blood soggy skin. "Do you intend to explain the meaning behind referring to me as Half-blood?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"You mean to tell me that you've never read Harry Potter?" she gasped sardonically, keeping her focus on keeping the needle steady. One green eye opened to glare halfheartedly at the mortal's judgment.

"No, Miss Darcy, I haven't. My childhood was spent reading up on the most successful battle tactics, poetry and spells." He growled under his breath.

"Sucks for you, mischief." She responded, tying off the last stitch.

"Thank you." He exhaled in reply. "Now out while I dress." He ordered in what Darcy had named his Princey voice. She mostly called it that to bug him to death…figuratively of course.

"Whatever." She moved towards the door.

"Darcy." He called. "Thank you." She nodded and left him alone, walking done the hallway pausing as she passed the office.

"So my brother is suddenly incapable of healing because…of Lady Lewis?" she heard Thor ask slowly. Darcy flattened against the wall and listened with her ear pressed up to the thin plaster wall.

"Shhh!" Jane hissed. "Essentially, yes. Did you and Loki ever encounter a sorceress named…" Jane hesitated.

"Einmyria." Thor pronounced for her, tone bleeding contempt. "She was a novice sorceress, infatuated with Loki as long as I could remember. She threatened Asgard, not long before New Mexico. Loki and myself were sent to apprehend her. She separated us and took us into custody. Loki refused to tell me what transpired while we were apart." He told her.

"Yeah, well I think I know what happened." She responded tightly. "She was mortal, yes?" she asked for confirmation. Darcy assumed Thor nodded. "Right, well, mythology has it that Einmyria was convinced she and Loki were meant to be. She was terrified that she would die and he would live on, so Einmyria cast a spell on him and basically… when he laid eyes on the girl he was supposedly meant to be with, he would slowly lose his immortality. Einmyria believed that girl was her. She wasn't and you escaped with him."

"And Lady Darcy is…" Thor realized. "Oh Valhalla, no." he growled.

"Exactly." Jane snapped.

Darcy turned away from the office door, breathing coming heavier with growing anxiety. She looked up and came face to face with the God of Lies himself.

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**WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE WITH THE LOKI AND DARCY INTERACTION AFTER THEY BOTH HEARD ****_THAT?_**


	7. How could any woman

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"Loki," she realized quietly. His stare hardened and he lunged forward, taking her hand roughly in his and pulling her away from the office. He pushed her ahead of him into her bedroom, slamming the door shut and pacing forward until Darcy was pinned against the wall. "Loki, I…I didn't know. I swear." She defended automatically.

"I know you didn't." he growled, bracing his forearms on either side of her head. Darcy swallowed thickly, forcing her eyes to hold his stare and not wander towards his still bare chest. "That doesn't change the fact that _you _are literally going to be the death of me, mortal." He muttered lowly, menacingly.

"I seriously doubt that you and I were '_meant to be'_, Green and Gold." She scoffed, choking back her anxiety and putting on an unimpressed mask.

"Disbelieving or not, Miss Lewis, I'm losing my immortality. Because of you." He snarled.

"What are you going to do about it Loki! Kill me?" she shouted angrily, throwing her arms in the air and shoving him in the chest to no avail.

"If that's what it takes." He hissed back. Darcy stopped short and froze, fear rapidly pooling in her blue eyes.

"The witch-chick was an idiot." She whispered, voice steady, surprising herself. "I don't know how she could _ever _love a murderer like you." She countered, ignoring the pain that sliced through the god's eyes. "You have three seconds to get out of my room before I scream." She warned, leveling his weakening glare with hers. "And stay away from me." She added before he could disappear.

"That won't be a problem." He seethed, slamming her door shut with enough force to send the photo next to it crashing to the floor. Darcy's knees gave out in that instant and she collapsed to the floor. She replayed the conversation over and over until the realization that she had basically just received a death threat. From Loki. God of Lies and Mischief. Who murdered hundreds of people. _She was going to die. _

_Murderer. Murderer. Murderer. _

For the first time since New Mexico, Loki Laufeyson felt like crying. It was a horribly uncomfortable and unusual feeling but he supposed he deserved that. He had threatened to murder a mortal. A human who had done nothing since he'd arrived but take care of him and do her best to heal him. And he had suggested _killing her _as a solution to a problem that she couldn't help. It was low, even for him. He rounded the corner and fell back against the wall, slamming his head into the plaster. He let himself wallow in self-hatred until he had cooled off enough to think about the things that had been said. More specifically the things he'd said to _her. _

Loki found himself wondering if it would have affected him the same way if he'd been talking to any other mortal. All his emotions were magnified around her. It was terrifying and annoying. More so than she herself was. Though, as of now, she wanted nothing to do with him. And wherever his sudden understanding had come from, he couldn't blame her.

"Brother?" Thor's concerned voice interrupted his self-deprecating train of thought.

"Yes, Thor?" Loki asked impatiently.

"Are you…? You heard." Thor sighed.

"Not me alone. Darcy as well. You aren't exactly quiet." Loki grumbled.

"I am sorry." Thor murmured. "Is Lady Darcy alright?" he asked.

"You may want to find out for yourself. I've been banned from her presence." Loki replied contemptuously.

"What have you…?" the blonde began.

"Thor!" Loki snapped. Thor nodded, backing away without a word.

Loki let his head tip back against the wall once Thor was out of sight, hardly bothering to readjust his position on the floor and ignoring the way it made every injury of his sting.

"Open the door Darce." Jane shouted, rapping her fist against the door. Suddenly, the door swung open revealing her shaken looking best friend. "What happened?" she asked forcefully.

"You! You just had to go and research why…" she trailed off and stalked away. "Why couldn't you just leave it _alone _for once in your life! I told you not to let a murderer in our house. But 'no', because you never listen to me! Never, Jane. This time, I was right. And because of you and your lightning-rod of a boyfriend, he's going to kill me!" Darcy ranted angrily.

"Wait. Darce, calm down. Why would he… Oh, Darcy. You heard, didn't you?" Jane realized, taking the first step into the room.

"So did our resident mass murderer." She confirmed.

"You weren't supposed to." Jane sighed.

"Can you just leave me alone, Jane?" Darcy asked resignedly. Jane sighed again and walked towards the door.

"Let me know if you need anything, Darcy." Jane murmured, pausing for a reply that never came.

Darcy waited till the door clicked shut before turning her music up as high as it would go and sliding under the green and gold embroidered covers to escape the nightmare closing in on her.

It wasn't long after she had fallen asleep that she felt someone shaking her hard enough to give her a headache. She furiously ripped the headphones away from her ears, her eyes flashing open, showing a blazing fire.

"Kill me later, and I know you're really mad at him, but he's…just come downstairs Darcy." Jane explained hurriedly. In the next breath she heard Thor shouting at Loki, and Darcy kicked off the covers, preceding Jane out the door.

"Loki!" Darcy heard Thor yelling as she and Jane skidded into the living room where Loki had been moved and was currently convulsing on the carpeted floor, blood streaming from the sloppily stitched hole in his side.

"What happened?" she shrieked in frustration, hurrying forward and yet again, kneeling beside the god.

"I believe the thread in his skin tore." Thor answered, unsure of his response.

"Crap." Darcy groaned. "Told you I wasn't qualified, Green and Gold." She whispered, even if he couldn't hear her. "Why is he…?" she gestured helplessly to the tremors vibrating through him. Thor shook his head negatively.

"I can't answer that." He replied apologetically. Darcy groaned and pushed down on Loki's shoulders, the more he moved the more he bled. Without his immortality, Darcy assumed blood loss would do some damage. She assumed that if Thor's megaphone bellowing hadn't made a dent in Loki's unconscious state, her voice wouldn't either. So she focused all her energy on holding him still until he calmed down.

_ "Have you forgotten my promise?" The Other snarled. _

_"How could I? With your constant reminding." Loki responded irritably. _

_"You are in no position to mock me." The Other warned. "Where is the Tesseract?" _

_"I don't have it." Loki responded tiredly, déjà vu washing over him almost instantaneously. _

_"__**Lies!" **__The Other roared. _

_"It's rather insulting, you know? To have everyone automatically assume I'm lying." Loki replied, sounding bored if anything._

_"Do not play games with me. You have two days to bring me the Tesseract." He hissed warningly. _

_"Or what?" Loki growled back. _

_"Or your mortal pays." He shot back. Loki's façade faltered when a shimmering image of Darcy kneeling over him, pinning him down with her trademark frustrated mask. _

_"I have no feelings for __**her." **__he spat convincingly. _

_"I was under the impression that the god of lies, would be able to lie better than this. Two days." The Other repeated before as always, bringing his hand to Loki's face as a reminder of the pain that he could cause if he wasn't obeyed. _

Loki gasped as he came to, thrashing against the weight pressing down on him. He fought the urge to open his eyes, keeping them shut tightly against the pain and fear he didn't want to acknowledge.

"Whoa there, Green and Gold. It's me." Darcy chided.

"I thought…I was instructed to stay away from you." He asked quietly between gasping breaths. Darcy rolled her eyes.

"This called for desperate measures. How'd you pull your stitches anyway?" she asked warily, working over his injuries for the millionth time.

"I have no idea. I assume I reopened the wound while I was…unconscious." He hedged. Darcy groaned and three layers of gauze over the skin.

"I'm running out of options here, mischief." She sighed. He blinked at her. "Anyway, try to keep still. Least till I can figure out what to do." She muttered, pushing off the floor. Loki watched her walk away, remembering The Other's warning.

He told himself that the only reason he cared was that he wasn't sure what affect Darcy dying would have on his dwindling immortality. Forced himself to believe it really. Any other explanation wasn't possible. Was it?

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	8. I don't know why she's with me

Darcy had only been left alone for exactly eleven minutes when a timid knock sounded on her door. She rolled her eyes, ignoring it in hopes that the person would get the hint and leave.

"Darcy. Please." The voice whispered from the other side of the door. Darcy's blood ran cold and she froze. "Darcy, please may I speak to you?" Loki asked again, almost sounding meek for lack of a better word. She walked towards the door, stopping in front of it and testing the handle to make sure it was still locked.

"If this is some kind of trick so you can get me alone to murder me, I will Taser you until you see your Asgardian stars every time you close your eyes for the rest of your life." She warned blandly.

"You have my word." He responded softly.

"I'm not sure what that's worth when you're talking to the god of lies." She sighed as she twisted the handle and pulled the door open tentatively. Loki stood in her doorway one hand bracing himself against the doorframe and the other putting pressure on the bleeding cut. "What do you want Loki?" She asked warily, turning away from him and moving over to her cd shelf, pretending to reorganize the cases to at least appear nonchalant about the whole situation.

"I came to...apologize." He almost groaned. What was happening to him? "For my irrational threats earlier today. That was unacceptable on my part and my intentions were never, at any point in time, to harm you in anyway." He finished. Good to know his silver tongue still worked in her presence while seemingly nothing else did. Darcy paused and turned to face him slowly. He was swaying on the spot and Darcy refused to let him faint and get blood on her carpet. She stalked towards him and Loki flinched away, expecting her to strike him.

"I'm not going to hit you, Loki." She sighed. Loki towered above her, even slouching, and the arm he had used to keep himself upright hovered a good foot above her head. He had removed the makeshift splint supporting his broken arm with the argument that the breaks were old and had therefore healed faster since he had still had his immortality when _that _particular injury had occured. Even then, Darcy had to be careful because she knew for a fact that it had to still be sore if nothing else. So as she stretched up to her full height, gently prying his hand away from its position clenched around the top of the door frame, she watched his face for any sign of omitted pain. When she saw none, she looped his muscled arm around her neck and led him slowly to her bed. He had grown even more pale in the last hour and that for the Jotun-turned-Aesir-god was an accomplishment. He fell back onto her bed, involuntarily curling into the warmth of the sheets. Darcy rolled her eyes skyward and sat beside him to test his temperature.

"You're an idiot, mischief." She grumbled, pulling the layers and layers of blankets and sheets tighter around him.

"Why exactly?" He asked. "This time." He clarified.

"You're burning up." She answered. "Can't we take you to a doctor or something?" She asked helplessly, grudges forgotten. He shook his head vehemently.

"No. The minute I leave this house, I become an easier target for him." He responded, forcing his eyes open.

"Him? Him who?" Darcy asked.

"He employed my help during the New York battle. We made a deal that at the end of it all, I would give him the Tesseract. I was taken into custody and moved to Asgard before I got the chance."

"Where's the Tesseract?" She asked innocently. He sighed, only to wince as it stretched the skin around the gaping hole in his abdomen.

"I do not know." He replied easily.

"You're lying." She glared skeptically. Loki made a noise of frustration.

"Ok, _fine_, Miss Lewis, I'm _lying_. Are you happy?" He hissed.

"Yup. So...where is it?" She asked again.

"I cannot tell you." He replied resignedly.

"And why not?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"The Other...visited me while I was unconscious. He threatened me. With you." He murmured, tone bordering self-conscious. She raised one eyebrow in skepticism.

"Seriously? And why's that?" she asked, using forced amusement to mask her unrevealed fear.

"He's been…watching me…watching you…watching us…the way we…interact. The Other believes we are romantically involved." He replied uneasily. Darcy had learned that lies came far easier to the god then the truth did. That was how she could always tell whether or not he was being honest. And if the way he was staring shiftily at anything and everything that _wasn't _her was anything to go by, he was being very honest.

"But we aren't. So he's wrong and he can just go on his merry way and leave us alone." Darcy hummed, almost sardonically.

"Darcy." Loki sighed. "He does not work like that. He wants something from me, and he will stop at absolutely nothing to get it from me. He has leverage which makes him all the more dangerous."

"Leverage? What leverage?" she asked ignorantly.

"For the love of Odin." He growled as he rolled his eyes. "_You, Darcy! _You." He shouted, defeated. Darcy's eyebrows shot up to her hairline and she blinked down at the dark haired god of trickery.

"I thought…" she started. "Look, mischief, I think you need to…" she started, pushing gently on his chest to lie him down again.

"I still refuse to take orders from a mortal." He spat as he sat up. "I am perfectly aware of what I am saying and I mean it Darcy." He insisted. "I do not know how, why, when or what could possibly draw me to you…"

"Thanks." She interjected sarcastically.

"But I am." He continued. "And because of that, you are in danger. For that, I am truly sorry." He concluded. "I have no plan, except to keep you out of The Other's reach." He murmured sleepily. She pushed him down, gentler this time so he felt less bossed around and complied without really realizing he was doing so. Or so she hoped. "I can't…" he started again, blinking sluggishly. Darcy acted on impulse. The only way she could think of at that moment to quiet his fevered ramblings. She realized she would possibly have to pay for it later, depending on whether or not he meant what he was saying. Scarily enough for her, she found herself hoping he did. But she refused to acknowledge that part as she leaned in and kissed him. Hard. Effectively shutting him up, and stunning him at first until he began to kiss back. Slowly his lips started to move with hers, awkwardly at first with her position leaning over him, then he shifted into a somewhat upright position so that they were at a more similar height. She jumped at his ice cold touch through the fabric of her loose violet top, and pulled away reluctantly.

"Loki." She chided, easing her eyes open as she fought to steady her breathing. "Sleep. Now." She ordered heatedly.

"I don't take orders from a mortal." He repeated.

"I don't care Green and Gold, you're hurt and I'm not going to be the reason you bleed out. Especially not in my bed. I just got these sheets and I'm rather fond of them." She murmured in a mocking British accent. "Good night, Loki." She added as he collapsed back in exhaustion.

"Good night, Miss Lewis."


	9. Do what she's got to do

Loki turned his head in an attempt to evade the blinding light streaming in through the window, hiding his face in the curtain of brunette hair beside him. _Darcy. _Loki tilted his head away from hers as he realized who exactly he had fallen asleep with. It was interesting, watching her sleep now, in comparison to when they had first met. Then, he had been viewing her beauty from an objective point of view. Now, as he watched her slow breathing, and looked at her in _silence, _he realized that she was unimaginably stunning. Even by Asgardian standards; full lips that half the goddesses would kill for. Silky waves of brunette air that always fell perfectly, even in sleep. Muddy eyes that could bring a better god to his knees. A figure that some Asgardian women only dreamt of having. And to top it off, wit and sarcasm that rivaled his.

Loki tentatively reached forward and ran his fingers through the strands of hair splayed out over the pillow. The god faintly remembered confessing his feelings for her, but only through a feverish haze. He found himself oddly glad his brain had been muddled. It was probable that he wouldn't have had the audacity to admit it otherwise. Lying beside her now, he couldn't bring himself to regret it though he knew he should've.

Secondly, the trickster recognized a different kind of heat engulfing his body that had nothing to do with the girl in his arms. He was still running a fever. Loki sighed and tilted his head against the top of hers.

"Loki?" Darcy murmured sleepily, recognizing the familiar gaze boring into her instantly.

"Mm?" he responded half-heartedly.

"You're still hot." She realized, frowning as she lifted her head off the pillow. He raised one eyebrow suggestively, eyes sparkling mischievously. "Well, in that sense too, mischief. But I _meant _you're still running a fever. Lie down?" she requested. The worry in her eyes as she stared at him had him complying without question. He watched as she pulled her hair back and pushed her glasses into her hair to keep her bangs back, sitting up to gain a better vantage point over him. She pushed the hem of the purple tee shirt up, gingerly lifting the fabric over the crude wrappings covering his injury. She reached over him to her bedside table, blindly opening the drawer and rifling around for the scissors she knew to be somewhere while holding his gaze to make sure his eyes didn't wander anywhere she didn't want them to.

Loki almost laughed as her glare practically dared him to try anything. Not that he would; any other girl and maybe. He would never even dream of disrespecting Darcy like that. She had earned his respect ten times over and he wanted her to trust him.

Darcy sat back on her heels and quickly cut away the bandaging she had done the day before. She gagged slightly, and swallowed thickly to keep herself from vomiting at the sight of his skin. It was so far past infected.

"Darcy, I need you to look at me and listen." He said tightly, tilting her face up with a firm but gentle grip on her chin. He brushed his thumb over her cheekbone until she met his eyes. "Do you trust me?" he asked softly. She nodded without hesitation. "Thanos and The Other _will _find me. If I don't think of something, they will take you as well. Darcy, I can_not_ live with myself if anything happens to you because of me. I can't protect you in my current state, and my power is diminishing." He shook his head deprecatingly.

"Because of me. Whatever you're about to say, I'm not leaving you." She cut him off.

"_Darcy." _He snapped. "_He will torture you." _He hissed. "I am not leaving you unprotected."

"I can take care of myself, Loki. I've been doing it for a long time. I was in New York when you…" she fought, inhaling sharply in regret when hurt flashed in his eyes. "Loki." She sighed, bringing both of her hands up to his face. "I didn't mean…I mean, I was in Manhattan during the Battle. I was at a crosswalk with a group of people and we got caught in the crossfire when you were fighting that redhead chick. I can fend for myself. I don't need you to protect me." She murmured gently, moving one hand up his face and tangling her fingers in his hair.

"I know you don't, love. But I need to protect you. I need to try." He replied, leaning forward and pressing his lips to her forehead.

"If you think I'll let you lock me away like Rapunzel, and expect me to take some crap about how its for my own good, you don't know me at all." She shot back, smirking.

"Dear, dear Darcy. If you think I'll leave you in danger, you are sadly mistaken." He breathed in her ear, dragging his lips down her neck and along the curve of her shoulder. "Please, Darcy." He murmured huskily. She shivered and before she could use the last of her resolve to deny, he kissed her, slowly and teasingly before pulling away, leaving the snarky sarcastic mortal dazed.

"You cheated." She replied hoarsely.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He arched an eyebrow innocently.

"You know _exactly _what I'm talking about." She grumbled. "What were you hoping I'd agree to?" she asked resignedly.

"My original plan was to go to Odin, and request protection for you in exchange for my surrender." He flinched away from her burning glare.

"But you know that isn't an option. Plan B?" she asked tightly, clenching her fists behind his back.

"Plan B…" he took a deep breath. "Is to leave you here in Thor's protection, lead The Other away from Midgard then have Thor take you and Foster somewhere else in case he comes after you anyway." Darcy inhaled shakily and lay down next to the god, hiding her face in his shoulder.

"No." she said finally.

"No? Darcy, have I not explained how serious this is?" he asked furiously.

"You have explained. Many times. That doesn't change the fact that I wouldn't be able handle letting you go after him alone." Darcy argued softly.

"You are not going with me." He said with a perfected tone of finality.

"Try to stop me." She said simply.

"I can't. I will not use my magic against you. Whatever of it is left. But I'm begging you, do not follow me when I leave." He closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against her temple. His broken tone widened the fissure in her heart and she closed her eyes, questioning why she was giving into orders. She didn't take orders from anybody. Especially not arrogant gods who attack her planet. Even if she loved said god. _Loved._ Had she really just admitted to loving him? She couldn't possibly love him. She had barely known him for three months.

"I'm willing to compromise." She muttered before she could change her mind. "I said I didn't want you to go alone." She recollected. He nodded. "If Thor goes with you, I'll stay here." Loki's frown melted away like ice and he slammed his lips down on hers.

"Thank you." He whispered. She smiled.

"_But." _Loki groaned; she was bloody terrifying when she had the upper hand. "You get to tell Hammer head and Jane about…this." She gestured vaguely between the two of them.

"Did you truly just give _me, _the god of ultimatums, an ultimatum?" he asked in impressed disbelief.

"Oh Honey, you're only the god of lies, and you can't even do that very well." She pouted mockingly.

"Did you just call me 'honey'?" he asked in amusement.

"I did. And I suggest you get over it." She warned. She fell silent in the next breath and Loki watched her in concern. She never shut up, unless there was something wrong. He rubbed his hand up and down her arm, quietly coaxing her to talk. "I could stitch it again, or just wrap it and hope for the best or I could cauterize it but…" she rambled.

"Darcy!" he interrupted. "What are you talking about?" he asked, completely lost. She gestured distractedly towards his side. "Ah." He realized. "Well, what do you suggest in terms of resilience?" he asked calmly.

"Cauterizing it." She answered immediately. "But it's not exactly the most painless." She added sarcastically.

"I assure you, I have had worse, Darcy." He repeated the assurance from the first couple days of meeting her.

"Ok." She allowed. "Hang tight. I'll be right back." She swung her legs over the side of the bed and hurried out of the room. Loki didn't ask her to expound as he folded his hands over his chest and waited.

Darcy moved around the kitchen, taking the lighter and a knife out of the silverware drawer, a towel and a glass of water before walking to the bathroom and taking the first aid kit out of its cupboard for the third time since Loki had landed on Earth.

"Going somewhere?" Jane asked, leaning against the bathroom's door frame.

"Loki wants me to try and cauterize his side." She sighed.

"Why doesn't he just go to the hospital?" Jane asked obliviously.

"Jane, it's a long story. Just give us an hour and we'll explain. Okay?" she answered vaguely.

"We? Darce, what's going on?" Jane asked again.

"One hour." Darcy promised, pushing past her best friend, leaving Jane shaking her head in in confusion as she watched her younger friend disappear into her room.

**REVIEW PLEASE. WHO THINKS JANE'S GOING TO BE ANGRY?**


	10. Find something this safe

**SO SO SO SO SORRY. NOT ONLY HAVE I BEEN TRAVELING A LOT, THE LOGIN BUTTON DISAPPEARED FROM THE WEBSITE ON MY LAPTOP. NOT ON MY PHONE, OR DESKTOP, OR MOMS LAPTOP, JUST MINE. SO I'M USING MY MOMS LAPTOP RIGHT NOW. **

Darcy slid her arm around Loki's waist, grabbing the hem of his shirt and pulling it forward over his head then slipping it off his arms. The god watched guardedly as she lifted the peroxide and smiled sympathetically. He twitched at the sympathy, lips pursing in an attempt to not shut her out. He didn't need her empathy but he needed her. He nodded, exhaling sharply and tensing imperceptibly as she brought the bottle closer to his chest. She held the towel under the wound, ready to catch the excess disinfectant. Darcy poured, steeling herself to keep going when Loki's hand clenched around her forearm in a bruising grip, eyes shut tight to prevent the sounds of pain threatening to make him look weak in front of Darcy. She moved the towel up, setting the bottle down and shifting her arm to his back before pressing the towel against the laceration. His back arched in response and Darcy did her best to hold him steady.

She shifted the bottle to her carpeted floor and took Loki's slightly shaking hand as she reached over and lifted the knife off of the flickering flame. Darcy slid her hand up his back, ignoring the repressed shiver and gripping the back of his neck. His hands twisted into the fabric of her shirt, only the tips of his fingers touching her bare skin. In the same breath, Darcy pulled him against her chest, caught his lips with hers and brought the knife to the tear. He let out a quiet, painfully strained moan and Darcy pulled away.

"Breathe." She reminded. He dragged a ragged breath through his teeth and slumped against Darcy's chest as she lifted the knife away. "Done." She whispered. He nodded against her collar bone.

"Just one moment." He gasped. Darcy chuckled. "Alright, I think we can go talk to them." He relented. Darcy nodded and moved off the bed, taking Loki's hand and supporting some of his weight as they walked to the living room.

"Hey Darce…" Jane starts before trailing off when she sees Loki wrapped around Darcy. Thor's eyes widened comically.

"Let him explain." Darcy interrupted calmly before Jane could start yelling every profanity and every insult at the god of lies. Loki took a deep breath.

"I'm not exactly sure how to explain something I don't completely understand myself." He chuckled, hand braced loosely against the recently cauterized wound. "Miss Darcy and I…" he began.

"I swear on Odin's life..." Jane growled. Thor sent her a betrayed look. "Sorry honey." She winced. "But if you say you slept with her I will report you to SHIELD _right now_, have them contact Asgard and abandon you to the mercy of whoever beat you up in the first place!" Jane screeched furiously. Thor rested his hands on her shoulder in an attempt at calming her down.

"_Jane!" _Darcy interrupted angrily. Loki's glare darkened.

"I have not _slept _with her. At least not by your implication." He scowled.

"Wait…what?" Jane cocked her head to the side, fisted hands falling to her side.

"We fell asleep together last night, Jane." Darcy sighed. Jane continued to stare blankly. "As in literally slept. That's it." Darcy prompted slowly as if she were talking to a child.

"Wait…" Jane held her hands up in surrender. "You actually…You _like him?" _Jane's eyes widened. Loki raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"More than _that, _Jane." Darcy scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Do you love him?" Jane asked quietly, both girls almost forgetting the men's presence. The older girl held her breath while the younger froze completely. _Did she? _It didn't make sense, Darcy knew that. She hadn't known him nearly long enough to _love _him. But somehow, whether it be because of the spell that Einmyria had casted, or 'true love', which Darcy had never believed in, _she was in love with the god of lies. _Darcy sighed and met Jane's gaze again. "_You do." _Jane gasped. Darcy ran a hand through her messy hair.

"Jane…I…" Darcy didn't get a chance to defend herself to her friend before strong arms pinned her weakly to the adjacent wall. Green eyes filled her line of sight and she swallowed.

"You what?" he asked roughly. Darcy stayed quiet and ignored Jane's protests, silently thanking Thor for holding her back. "Say it. Please." Loki demanded, coming the closest to begging the god of lies ever would.

"I…I'm in l-love with you." She repeated, as nervous as Darcy ever had been in her life. Loki moved his hand up so that it was between her head and the wall and slammed his mouth against hers. Darcy melted willingly into the kiss.

"You shouldn't be." He mumbled against her lips.

"Sucks for you." She muttered back. A voice cleared their throat behind them. Both Darcy and Loki turned to face a furious looking Jane.

"If you really love him, I will try not to _kill _him. But that doesn't mean I'll put up with you two sucking face in front of me." She warned blandly.

"Thanks, Jane." Darcy chuckled, smiling sincerely with her arms still wrapped around Loki's neck. "What do you think, Hammer Time?" she asked Thor.

"I'm happy for you brother, and Lady Darcy." He smiled widely.

"Now, on a darker note." Darcy continued. Loki's arms stiffened protectively around her waist. "The bad guys are coming and mischief is being over protective." She sighed.

"What does she speak of, brother?" Thor asked, pulling Jane closer to him who suddenly looked scared.

"Thanos is coming after me. I had a plan, but Darcy sanctioned it." Loki grumbled.

"So Lightning's going with Trix and Jane and I are staying here to hold down the fort." Darcy interjected quickly.

"Alright." Thor nodded. "When do we leave?" he asked solemnly.

"Wait! No, no, no, no, no." Jane protested. "You can't just…No! I just got you back, Thor. I'm not letting you leave me again." Jane cried. "You're selfish!" she hissed at Loki. "Abusing your brother's devotion."

"_Jane." _Thor and Darcy chastised.

"Please." She looked at Thor.

"I have to go, my love, I'll return. I swear it." Thor replied.

"The first time you said that, it took you years. The second time, months. You think I'm going to believe that?" she scoffed.

"Jane, I'm going to help my brother." Thor said finally, kissing her forehead softly before standing. "We must prepare. We'll return to say our farewells." He boomed. Darcy let Loki kiss the top of her head as he walked away.

"They'll be fine." Darcy said more to herself then Jane as the men disappeared into Thor's room.

**NEXT CHAPTER IS WRITTEN SO IT SHOULD BE UP TOMORROW. SO SORRY AGAIN. **

**PLEASE REVIEW WHAT YOURE HOPING TO SEE COMING UP. **


	11. She's fallen in love

**SORRY. I ENDED UP SITTING IN A WIFI-LESS AIRPORT FOR 15 HOURS... SO OOPS. **

**HERES THE GOODBYES. **

Jane and Darcy had been sitting on the couch in silence since the men had disappeared to plan the attack. They hadn't said a word, both worrying to themselves in their own way. Thor and Loki emerged an hour and a half later; both dressed in their Asgardian armor that had the girls simultaneously swooning and their worry spiking.

Loki took a knee in front of Darcy, resting a hand on her leg. She crossed her arms stubbornly and stared at the floor beside him. He raised an eyebrow in frustration and tilted her face up to meet his eyes.

"What?" she asked shortly.

"You're afraid." He realized, the corners of his mouth twitching up in the beginning of a sad smirk.

"In your dreams, mischief." She growled.

"Darcy, you can't lie to me. I'm the god of lies. You're good, but not that good." He murmured gently. She looked at Jane and Thor next to them and stood, pulling Loki into the hallway around the corner. "What are you…?" he started to ask before noticing the look on Darcy's face.

"Jane's never…I don't like to cry in front of her. It ruins the whole reputation I've got going. But since I've already lost my dignity to you…" she mumbled. "Yeah, I'm scared." She admitted quietly, tears filling her blue eyes. Loki nodded.

"I know." He stepped forward and wound his arms around her shoulders. She sniffed into the chest plate of his armor and chuckled darkly.

"I hate crying." She growled.

"I know." He laughed quietly. He pushed her back slightly and moved one of his hands away from her arms. He moved his fingers over his palm and a green light glowed in the center of his hand for a minute, brightening until Darcy was forced to squint. It faded away, leaving an object in the god's hand. Darcy looked up at Loki, then glanced at his hand.

"What's that?" she asked dumbly. Loki smiled at her impatience and lifted the green gem by its thin silver chain. The still faintly glowing charm was paper thin, green wisps of smoke swirling around in the small disk.

"My promise." He whispered in her ear, moving her hair out of the way so he could fasten it around her neck. "I will return." He breathed. Darcy's breath hitched in her throat and tears continued to drip down her cheeks. She turned in his arm and kissed him hard, locking her arms around his neck. Loki tightened his arm around her waist, backing her into the wall and bracing his hand against the wall by her head.

"You pull a Thor on me, I will kill you." She growled lowly.

"I know." He smirked. The playfulness in his eyes softened and he tilted his forehead against hers. "I intend to keep my promise." He swore. She nodded and hugged him tightly for a minute longer. "I must go." He sighed.

"I…I love you mischief. So if you don't come back, I will _end _you." She hissed sadly. He rolled his eyes halfheartedly.

"I love you. More than you know. So I have no choice but to return." He replied before pulling away and retracing their steps through the hallway.

Darcy dragged her hands roughly over her eyes, taking a deep breath before following the path Loki had taken out of the hallway.

"What'd I miss?" she asked nonchalantly, leaning against the arch.

"Jane has agreed to marry me." Thor answered jovially. Darcy blinked, then looked back and forth between Jane and Thor.

"Huh?" she cocked her head to the side.

"I'm engaged." Jane shrugged sheepishly. Darcy stared blankly for another half a second before smiling warmly and walking forward to hug Jane, high fiving the oversized Barbie on her way. Thor laughed a booming laugh then sobered.

"You will both be very careful?" Thor hedged worriedly. The girls nodded.

"You too, guys." Darcy echoed. "Seriously. Either of you get hurt…" she let her warning taper off uselessly.

"Don't worry, Lewis. I'm not _that _fragile." Loki called sarcastically, the genuinely guilty and slightly sad smile contradicting the jab. Jane looked between Darcy and Loki with honest fascination; they really did care for each other.

"Right, mischief. Keep thinking that." She joked back with sad eyes. He discretely reached up to tap his sternum to remind her of the necklace that rested against her chest. Her hand involuntarily reached up to hold the swirling disk between her thumb and forefinger. She nodded and let the sadness melt away.

"Brother we must go." Loki called. Thor kissed Jane one more time, Mjolnir hanging from his wrist.

Thor smirked and held his arm out, waiting for Loki. The dark haired god scowled and let his brother wrap his arm around his waist before he whirled the hammer in a circle above his head, barely missing the ceiling. The warriors disappeared, leaving the girls alone in the suddenly empty seeming house.

Jane looked at Darcy, some of the long since disappeared depression started to return to her eyes. Darcy raised an eyebrow; _Heck no. _

"Can I see the ring?" she asked with forced hopefulness. The sadness was immediately chased away by excitement as she held her hand out to her best friend. Darcy took Jane's hand, twisting it back and forth to look at the ring from every angle. The usually unaffected girl was genuinely impressed. It really was gorgeous, a sparkling marble of what basically looked like a chunk of the rainbow sat on a gold band that tapered at the top to look like a bow.

"He said it's a piece of the Bifrost." Jane offered.

"Of the what now?" she blinked.

"The wormhole we were studying when he first came?" Jane clarified, laughing quietly.

"Ah." She realized. "It's really pretty." Darcy added.

"When did you get that?" Jane asked, pointing at the necklace with a knowing smirk.

"Five minutes ago." The younger girl answered back simply.

"It's gorgeous." Jane answered. "It's moving." She realized in surprise.

"Yeah." Darcy nodded. "I have no idea what it's made of. He conjured it up with his magic voodoo right before he left." she answered, giving up on fighting the sad smile. She held the necklace between her fingers again and looked down at it.

_He'd be back. _

**_WHAT'D YOU THINK?_**


	12. Only brought her trouble

Loki stumbled out of Thor's grip the second their feet touched the ground. The God of Mischief staggered to his knees, hand tensed over his abdomen.

"Brother… are you alright?" Thor asked worriedly. Loki held up his free hand.

"Perfectly fine. I just need a minute." Loki responded tightly, letting the hand fall in front of him to brace himself against the ground. "Well that was fun." He gasped, straightening only to find Thor's outstretched hand, inches from his face. Loki took a deep breath and grimaced as he finally accepted the help from Thor. A smile broke out over the blonde's face, so wide that Loki was almost worried he'd end up stuck like that. "Don't let it go to your head, Thor." He rolled his eyes, pausing to wonder just how much time he'd been spending with Darcy.

Thor's smile didn't waver while he started spinning Mjolnir as he walked. Loki growled as he half expected him to start singing. When Thor suddenly stopped, Loki barely had enough time to skid to a stop to keep from running into him.

"Do you love her?" he asked quietly. Loki arched an eye brow as Thor turned around.

"Yes." Loki asked with simple honesty. Thor nodded.

"Then you have my word, you will return to her." Thor swore.

"She'd kill me otherwise." Loki rolled his green eyes, biting his tongue to keep his focus on the conversation and not on the welling pain that the thought of never seeing her again brought on. Thor's eyebrows knitted together and in three large strides he was beside Loki again.

"She would carry out such harsh actions against you?" Thor asked in confusion. Loki rolled his eyes.

"No brother, it means that she would be very angry. And I do not wish to be reacquainted with her tazer." The Jotun grumbled. Thor laughed loudly.

"I remember that device. Something along the lines of my hammer, yes?" he chuckled.

"Something like that." Loki responded bemusedly. "Where are we going?" Loki looked around the barren planet with wary green eyes.

"To find Thanos." Thor growled. Loki nodded grimly.

"And where exactly would _he _be?" Loki phased out of his helmet, grimacing when he could almost _feel _a small percentage of his magic draining.

"I have no idea." Thor grunted; stride hardly faltering for a second.

"Thor, we need a _plan." _Loki froze a few steps behind his brother and called after him.

"I have a plan. Attack." Thor shouted back without turning around.

"_Thor." _Loki growled, stalking forward and placing a heavy hand on the blonde's shoulder. "That isn't…"

"Hello _Asgardians._" A voice boomed, seemingly from everywhere. Both gods were immediately on the defensive, hammer and spear raised and helmets phasing into place. "Ah ah ah." The voice chided, echoing until it finally came from one spot behind them. Loki and Thor whirled around, coming face to purple face with Thanos himself. "You will cooperate Dark Prince." Thanos narrowed his eyes at the pale god.

"And why would I do that?" Loki straightened and cocked his head with a scowl. Thanos chuckled and waved his hand off to the side. A shimmering golden image of a badly bruised Darcy appeared in front of him, a scowl that almost matched his perfectly accompanying the blossoming bruises across her cheek and split lip.

_How? _Loki wondered brokenly. They had been gone an hour… at most. And they had already captured her. It wasn't _possible. _

"How did you…?" Thor growled angrily. Loki held up a hand to silence him, forcing his face to remain impassive though the sight of her like that tore at his heart.

"And what makes you think a mortal will force me to cooperate?" Loki arched an eyebrow in forced amusement. Thanos waved his hand through the image, scattering it as he laughed darkly.

"Don't try to play me Laufeyson." He hissed. "You will lose, and your mortal will pay." Thanos threatened. Loki's innocent façade dropped instantly.

"Let her go and I'll talk." Loki bargained darkly.

"This filthy human is the only thing keeping you from trying to kill me. If you return without me, assuming you manage to find where she's being held, my associate is under strict orders to _kill her_. You either return with me, or lose her forever. Make your move Frost Giant." Thanos smiled threateningly. Loki growled and let his spear clatter to the ground, his armor phasing away with Thor following his example. The purple tinted smile stretched wider and Thanos transported them all away from the middle of nowhere.

"_Let me go! _You don't know who you're dealing with! I know people!" a familiar voice shouting was the next thing Loki registered, followed by fist hitting flesh and an almost indiscernible whimper. Loki pulled instinctively at the bindings he realized were securing him to a straight back chair.

"Do not touch her again." Loki growled lowly, his eyes opening slowly. A menacing laugh echoed in what the god now realized was a cave. As he quickly memorized his surroundings, he wondered faintly where they had taken Thor.

"What're you going to do about it Prince?" a woman spat from behind Darcy. Loki froze momentarily before he smiled sadistically.

"Hello Amora." he leveled her with a glare that bled hate.

"Loki, my dear, how are you?" she asked, moving away from the mortal and straddling Loki's lap. "Then again, my love…" she rested her hand against his forehead. "You must be unwell to fall for someone this…inferior." Her lips curled in disgust. Loki met her gaze squarely, focusing on ignoring Darcy's gaze burning a hole through him.

"If you'd be so kind as to get off of me, Enchantress…" he trailed off, arching an eyebrow in boredom. Amora just smiled beautifully and stroked the side of his face.

"_Hey." _Darcy interrupted, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"What is it mortal?" Amora sighed impatiently.

"Don't touch my stuff." She hissed. Loki was torn between slamming his head into the wall and grinning proudly. The minute Amora swung her legs off Loki's lap and paced over to the mouthy girl; he made up his mind and sharply slammed his head back into the wall. _Darcy, please. _All she was going to do, was make his job of keeping her alive even more difficult than it already was.

"He does not belong to you." Amora hissed. Darcy tilted her head to the side.

"Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. But it got you to leave him alone didn't it?" she smirked victoriously. Loki cringed as Amora's eyes blazed and she roughly punched Darcy in the stomach, doubling her over as much as she could while tied to the chair. Loki _stared _at Darcy painfully. _I'm so sorry._

"Where is the Tesseract?" Thanos interrupted loudly.

"I don't have it." Loki repeated tiredly, eyes widening fractionally when he nodded at Amora who promptly pulled her knee up into Darcy's face, sending the brunette's head snapping up. Loki winced.

"Amora, leave her out of this." He warned.

"We will hurt her, Dark Prince. But the extent to which we do so depends largely on you and your cooperation." Thanos replied, again, nodding at Amora who smiled menacingly and pulled a vial out of nowhere. Loki stiffened and pulled against the bindings.

"Don't. I will tell you anything you wish to know that is in my power to reveal. Don't do this, Amora." He spoke quickly as the enchantress popped open the vial of silvery liquid. A substance that had Loki cringing at the sight of it. "She has no part in this. Please." His voice quieted.

"Where is the tesseract?" Thanos asked again.

"I do not know." Loki repeated, holding Darcy's eyes unwaveringly.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Amora pouted and tipped the vial slightly so that the venom dripped onto Darcy's thigh. Loki froze in the chair as Darcy's back arched and her teeth buried themselves in her bottom lip to hold back whatever sound of pain she wanted to make. "Where is it?" Amora echoed again.

"I don't know!" Loki shouted back. Amora pouted teasingly and tipped the bottle a second time. "Please…" Loki whispered pleadingly, a second too late as the venom dripped onto her shoulder. Darcy made a sound in the back of her throat, barely managing to hold her composure, but managing none the less. Until it trailed down the rivets in her skin along her collar bone, and slid down her chest. Her back arched violently, heels digging into the ground. He watched her resolve shatter, watched the walls come crumbling down, watched the pain in her eyes skyrocket… Watched as the memories of excruciating pain washed over him for the first time in years.

Loki _listened _as her screams… _Darcy's screams…_ echoed off the walls.

He lurched at the sound that caused pure agony to rip through him. "_I've already told you! I don't know where it is!" _he yelled helplessly. Amora and Thanos cackled unforgivingly. "I don't. I don't… I'll do anything… give you anything. Don't hurt her." he plead, staring at Darcy's shaking form. A dagger materialized in Amora's hand and she blinked innocently.

"Last chance."

**HATE ME? LOVE ME? **


	13. Should've walked away

"Last chance."

Loki shook his head slowly, then tipped his head back and _laughed. _Darcy dragged unsteady breaths through her teeth, looking at Loki painfully. Blue eyes begging for something she would never dare ask for out loud. _Help. _He avoided her pleading gaze for the sake of keeping his sanity in check long enough to get them both out. Amora paused in her flawlessly steady movements and looked at the god of Trickery.

"What is it Prince?" she sighed impatiently. His laughing tapered off to a chuckle.

"Tsk Tsk…" he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth mockingly. "You, my dear Enchantress, are jealous. Are you not?" he realized. Darcy struggled weakly against her bindings, staring unwaveringly at her god who was still pointedly ignoring her glare. The tension in Darcy's shoulders thawed slightly as Amora sheathed her weapon and spun on her heel with a condescending smirk.

"Loki, my love, I knew you were always arrogant, but I never knew that you could be vain to this extent." She pouted temptingly. He cocked his head and smiled seductively, nodding their beautiful captor forward. She let her lips part as she straddled his lap again. "What is it my Prince?" she whispered.

Darcy expected Loki to do many things; like headbutt the chick. That's what she would've done.

But he didn't.

He kissed her.

And in that moment, Darcy's heart stopped.

She wasn't the possessive type. She really wasn't. But when she was suffering from excruciating pain at the hand of the very monster that the man she loved was currently making out with, she could honestly say she'd found her breaking point.

The Frost Giant's blood froze as he caught sight of the glistening tear on Darcy's cheek over Amora's shoulder. _Hang on love, please. _He ignored the threatening wince as he leaned further into the kiss.

"You're feelings for me." He started, feigning breathlessness. "They're still there, am I correct?" he asked, forcing hopefulness, not missing the full body wince that shuddered through the brunette behind the blonde.

"Of course my Prince." Amora whispered longingly, eyes still closed, listening intently to the love in his voice she hadn't heard directed at her in centuries. "And yours? For me?" she questioned in turn.

"Of course, my love." He lied easily. "Can there be another explanation?" he smiled gently.

There it was again. The heartbreak. Darcy bit back the whimper as a pang of longing and hurt sliced through her at the sight of _her_ smile directed at the witch.

But the hurt was replaced with nausea the second a smile stretched across Amora's lips just before she kissed him again. Hard. Darcy couldn't stop herself from turning her head and looking away from the scene in front of her. She wanted to at least free him of his obligation if that was all she could do to make all his wasted time up to him. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she wasn't thinking straight. It was the pain, and hurt, and anger, and fear talking, but she couldn't bring herself to care right then.

"Kill me then." she mumbled weakly. Loki's eyes snapped to her and he gritted his teeth to keep from protesting and ruining the lie he had fabricated to give them a chance to escape. Amora shrugged and stood up in the next breath she took, striding over to the bound mortal across the cell.

Before Loki had a chance to react or stop her, Amora whipped her knife out for the second time and plunged it into Darcy's stomach. Green eyes widened with disbelief and terror.

"_NO!" _he yelled, agonized voice and strained scream chasing each other back and forth, echoing as they bounced off the stone walls confining them to their own personal hell.

"_I knew it!" _Amora yelled once their cries had died out. "God of _lies!" _ she screeched, ripping the knife out of Darcy.

"Stop." Loki plead weakly.

"_Stop?" _her voice reached an octave that had even Loki cringing away.

"That's enough Enchantress." Thanos interrupted and she backed off immediately.

"Darcy." Loki whispered brokenly as blood spread across the front of her pale blue shirt. "Darcy." He repeated when he got no response. She lifted her head with a little effort, her skin paler than even his. His eyes flitted towards her chest and he hoped she wasn't too fogged by hatred and pain to realize what he was trying to convey. She blinked a few times before following his gaze to the green pendant bouncing against her sternum. A weak smile played at her blood red lips and Loki almost sighed in relief. _She understood. _

Darcy couldn't help the slight smirk that she gave Amora when she saw the all too familiar mischief cut into Loki's eyes before it disappeared and was replaced with crushing sadness that was only half an act.

"I'll tell you." He breathed. "I'll tell you…where the Tesseract is." He hung his head. Amora clapped mockingly.

"Very good, Laufeyson…" Thanos began, The Other smirking behind him.

"On one condition." His head lifted slowly, eyes dark with hatred.

"We aren't open to negotiations." The Other growled. Loki hissed.

"Untie me. Let me say goodbye." He muttered through his teeth.

"You think…" Amora scoffed.

"Release him Enchantress." Thanor ordered.

"But, sir, he…" she began.

"He has little to no powers left." He finished for her. "Release him." Amora clenched her jaw and nodded.

"Yes sir." She stalked forward and slashed the rope binding the god to the chair. He fell out of it, stumbling to his feet before walking to Darcy and kneeling at her feet.

They grinned at each other; the irony. _He was kneeling before her. _

"Darcy." He whispered apologetically.

"Save it, mischief. You're going to have to make this up to…" she hissed when her dizziness hit an extremity.

"I know. I know." He rolled his eyes, though the rest of his expression gave away his worry. Her eyes fluttered shut for half a second, only to shoot open when excruciating pain tore another cry from her throat. "I'm so sorry." She heard Loki muttering as she caught sight of his bloodied hands plastered to her abdomen.

"You don't know." She murmured, blinking sluggishly. Loki took all of a quarter of a second to trace her statement back to the Tesseract.

"I had to make them stop, Darcy." He shrugged. "Can't exactly go back to Midgard without you. Jane would slap me. Again." He grumbled. Darcy scoffed weakly.

"Mm." she hummed.

"Darcy, I…" he began before a loud crash broke into his faltering façade.

"You _dare_ touch a mortal in this way?" a familiar voice roared and Loki smirked evilly.

"This is none of your concern _Odinson_." Amora shot back.

"Enchantress." Thor growled. "Take Lady Lewis away from here." Thor added without looking away from the three opponents before him, swinging Mjolnir warningly.

"Thor…" Loki hissed.

"I would prefer not to fight in her presence." He explained.

"Not a lady." She muttered, looking at Loki with half-lidded eyes.

"Very well." Loki agreed reluctantly, pulling apart the bindings cutting into her wrist. "Oh Darcy." He sighed.

"Not a lady." She repeated.

"I know you aren't." he responded, carefully lifting her into his arms.

"OW." She protested theatrically, voice as quiet as he'd ever heard it.

"Sorry, my love." He winced. "Seven minutes and counting before I come back in and _drag _you back to earth, princess." Loki warned before quickly carrying Darcy away from the cell.

"Thank you." She mumbled into his shirt. He tilted his head and kissed the hollow of her neck right above the necklace.

"I promised, did I not?" he paced towards a tree where he could the exit as they waited for Thor.

"You promised." She allowed, smiling pathetically.

"You're going to be ok." He swore to her.

"Stop sounding like you're talking to yourself. I'm going to be just dandy. Ya got it Green and Gold?" her voice broke but they both ignored it.

"I just said that." He rolled his eyes.

"You needed to hear it."

**NOT EVEN CLOSE TO BEING DONE. **

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	14. Too Late

**SO SORRY ITS SO SHORT. REALLY REALLY SORRY. **

Loki begrudgingly admitted to himself that he needed to thank Thor for the sufficient distraction. It'd given him the opportunity he needed to get Darcy out. But that didn't change the fact that she was still fading fast. Her blood had long since seeped through the spaces between his fingers, growing paler by the minute.

"Darcy." He snapped weakly for the hundredth time as her eyes fluttered. She groaned.

"C'mon. Jus lemme sleep." She slurred.

"No." he growled sharply. Darcy flinched. "I'm sorry, love." He sighed. "Please keep your eyes open." His voice softened substantially as he lowered them both onto the ground and cradled her against his chest with one arm, pressing his hand against the stab wound in her stomach with renewed panic. She yelped and hid her face in the curve of his neck. "I'm truly sorry."

"Please." She croaked. "I've never felt better." She tried for a smile, only to have it morph into a heart wrenching grimace. Loki sighed, tentatively pressing his lips to hers.

"Just hang in there." He murmured.

"Yes sir." She nodded. "Hate to break it to you, but you've got a stalker." She muttered breathlessly.

"I'm aware." He scoffed.

"Where's Barbie?" she sighed after half a second of silence.

"I don't have an answer for you, love." He murmured apologetically. She nodded, snuggling into his neck and letting her eyes drift closed. "Darcy." He hissed, squeezing her shoulder.

"Love you." She mumbled.

"Darcy." He warned again. _Dead silence_. Panic bubbled in Loki's stomach and he staggered to his feet, holding onto her like a lifeline. For himself or her, he wasn't sure. He was seconds away from stalking back into the cave and dragging Thor out by his Rapuzel-esque hair when he appeared, fist clenched around his hammer with a murderous look on his face. Loki almost collapsed in relief.

"How is Lady Darcy?" Thor grumbled. Loki shook his head and inhaled shakily.

"She needs a healer. Midgardian or not. We must go." He spoke quickly with an air of authority that Thor would have normally protested. But not now. Not while he was covered in his love's blood. Not while she was dying in his arms. Not while he looked so lost.

"Aye." Thor agreed quietly, grabbing onto Loki's shoulder and swinging his hammer over his head. Loki bent his knees as they ported out of the desolate realm, landing as lightly as he could on Midgardian soil.

"Thor!" a panicked voice shouted the second they touched down. "They came and I tried but I couldn't and they t… Darcy!" Jane whimpered, walking towards the three of them.

"We rescued Lady Darcy, Thanos and his…company have been taken care of." Thor rattled off tightly.

"We have no time." Loki hissed, tightening his grip on Darcy. "She needs a healer. Where is the nearest infirmary?" Loki spoke tightly.

"Hospital?" Jane clarified. "It's a tiny town, Loki." She sighed, motioning them towards the truck. Loki hurried towards the vehicle, climbing into the back where he had been unceremoniously dumped the first time he had been in Lady Jane's car, still cradling Darcy in his lap, her skin growing cold to touch.

Jane ran to the truck, throwing open the door and turning the keys in the ignition as Thor climbed into the truck, slamming the door with a little too much force. Jane sped off in the direction of the hospital, hands shaking around the steering wheel. Thor glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, resting his hand on her knee to calm her. Her hands stilled slightly, but her unwavering glare trained on the road gave away her worry.

Loki sat stone still, wrapped protectively around Darcy who hadn't moved a muscle since she had blacked out. He refused to check her pulse, praying to his father, no matter what he thought of him, that she'd live.

"We're here." Jane called back to Loki. The dark haired god kicked the back door open and rushed Darcy inside. He screamed useless death threats at the doctors who carried her away before he had a chance to speak. Thor ran in behind his brother, hammer forgotten in the truck, and placed a firm, warning hand on Loki's shoulder. The God of Mischief's shoulder's slumped in defeat as he slid to the floor in the hallway he hadn't remembered following the doctors into. Thor dropped down beside him and pulled his hand back, glancing painfully at Jane who worked to blink back tears as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"She'll be ok." Thor told them both, booming voice reduced to a whisper surrounded by so much pain. His statement was met with heavy silence as Loki kept his eyes trained on the door she had disappeared through.

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	15. She stays

Loki had been staring at his shaking, blood coated hands without saying a word, despite Thor's attempts at distracting him with conversation. His mind went blank aside from her name burned across his mind, blocking out any other coherent thoughts.

For the first time since he'd found out he was losing his immortality because of her, the God of Lies was _glad_ he would be able to die. He wouldn't be able to survive without her and he wasn't above admitting as much.

Hours and hours of silent _waiting _later, a solemn looking doctor stepped out of the double doors, pulling his bloody latex gloves off his hands.

"She has three cracked ribs, a concussion, a type of burn I have never before seen in my entire life as a doctor and a stab wound that required stitches and surgery to repair the internal damage." The doctor recited, shaking his head incredulously.

"Has?" Loki clarified. "She's alive." He realized, a small smile spreading across his face.

"Yes. But…" The doctor started again but was instantly cut off when Loki shoved past him, through the door and stopped short at the sight of her already awake and blinking at him with tired blue eyes.

"They won't let me out." She pouted hoarsely. Loki was almost brought his knees in relief.

"Darcy." He breathed.

"Hey." She smiled crookedly. Thor and Jane burst into the room a second later, skidding to a stop behind Loki who had reached out to grip the wall for support.

"I apologize for not reaching you both in a more timely matter, it was quite the challenge to find my way to you both." Thor frowned, eyebrows knitting together. Darcy just smiled reassuringly and glanced back at Loki.

"How're you feeling Darce?" Jane smiled weakly.

"Like I got run over by a truck." She stated matter-of-factly, wincing to back up her claim. The look of pain flashing in her eyes shook Loki out of his trance and forced his feet towards her.

"I am truly sorry Darcy. I have never regretted anything in my existence more than I do this." He told her quietly, stopping at her bedside. Darcy glanced at Jane meaningfully and the older girl wrapped her hand a quarter of the way around her boyfriend's bicep, tugging lightly to propel him out of the hospital room. The door shut and Loki finally fell to his knees beside her, grasping her hand gently. She swallowed thickly at the sight of her blood coating his hand and half his arms, even smeared across his battle armor he had yet to phase out of.

Loki saw her look of discomfort and grimaced, instantly phasing out of his armor and letting the blood seep into his skin and out of view. When he turned his gaze back to Darcy he saw unshed tears welling in her eyes and pain taking over most of her expression. She smirked anyway at him when she saw the guilt rapidly pool in his eyes.

"I've had worse, Mischief." She rolled her eyes. Loki smiled sadly.

"No you haven't." he countered. Darcy sighed.

"No. I really haven't. That silver stuff _hurt_. Like…really bad." Her eyes went wide and she shivered, remembering the excruciating pain that followed the shiny stuff as it trailed down her skin.

"Snakes venom." His voice broke.

"Hm?" Darcy asked, suddenly exhausted. Loki noticed but knew if he were to point it out and tell her to sleep she would fight it harder.

"Snakes venom. Centuries back, I received punishment for a mistake I made. I was to be chained to a rock while a constant drip of the venom hung above me." He voiced quietly, his grip on her hand tightening unconsciously. Darcy's blue eyes were comically wide with horror. "And I was immortal. I know the pain she caused you and I am _truly, unfathomably,_ sorry." He whispered, bringing his hand up to cradle her bruised face.

"Don't be. All's well that ends well. I'm here and so are you. So shut up." She replied softly. Loki chuckled and loosened his grip on her hand. "And get me some morphine." Her voice took on a slight whimpering tone. Loki nodded and moved to stand up.

"I assume that is a form of…" he began to clarify before Darcy tugged him back down beside her with surprising strength.

"Pain killer and just hit the red button." She muttered weakly, voice trembling a little as the pain came rushing back like the freight train she was sure had hit her in the first place. Loki did as he was told and watched as relief filled her eyes, chasing out the pain, and causing her to relax. "Chair. Sit." She muttered almost incoherently. Loki glanced beside him and stretched his arm to drag the chair closer, lifting himself into it and maintaining his hold on her hand as she passed out.

Jane peeked through the door minutes after Darcy had fallen into blissful unconsciousness with an eyebrow arched questioningly. Loki nodded, allowing her to enter.

"How do you fare brother?" Thor asked, his voice considerably quieter than usual. Loki nearly laughed. He probably would've had he not been afraid of waking Darcy.

"How do _I _fare? I believe it would be more appropriate for you to be asking Darcy such a question." He scoffed, studying her face with new intensity.

"Possibly." Thor allowed, watching Jane as she made her way to the other side of the hospital bed. "Nevertheless. I am asking you." He moved to hover behind Loki, glancing away from Jane to assess Darcy's condition. She looked to be in pain, even in sleep and she looked more pale than usual. "Brother…" Thor started in concern, tearing his eyes away from his brother's love to look at his own.

"In truth, I have been better. But then again I have been worse." Loki sighed. Jane glanced up from her best friend to look at Loki's tortured and guilt countenance.

"No you haven't." she muttered. Loki's eyebrows hit his hairline with the overwhelming sense of déjà vu.

"No?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"No. Thor told me what happened. There is no way in _Helheim_ you have ever felt worse than you do right now." She elaborated blandly. Loki's eyes fell and posture slumped with the realization that his façade was no longer useful.

"Helheim?" Thor smirked, slightly prideful. Jane shrugged and offered a halfhearted smile in return.

"If you'd be so considerate as to take your affections elsewhere, I'd be immensely grateful." Loki hissed. Jane sighed followed by a heavy hand making his already weak posture falter under the weight.

"Fear not, my brother. She lives. This alone should be cause for celebration." Thor tried quietly. Loki's eyes blazed.

"Celebration? Look at her _brother_! True, she lives. But barely! With little help from me." He spat, voice rising with his temper.

"L'ki?" Darcy's muted and mumbled voice broke into their argument. Loki sobered instantly, gaze snapping back to lock on her like a rubber band.

"I'm here my love." He soothed quietly, rubbing his thumb over her cheek. "I'm sorry we woke you. Go back to sleep." He murmured apologetically. Darcy hummed sleepily her eyes fluttering shut again.

"You love her." Jane's eyes widened in stunned realization. Loki raised an eyebrow.

"You doubted as such?" he sighed dryly. Jane nodded. Thor just crossed his arms, watching his brother and girlfriend with a knowing smirk. "Yes. I love her. More than life itself." He traced his thumb over her lips. "More than my immortality." He added silently. Jane looked at him like he had grown a second head.

"You have my blessing." She whispered.

"What makes you think I need your _blessing?_" Loki scoffed. Jane's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"This is my little sister. God or not I will murder you, slowly. With a spoon, if you hurt her. She has _nobody _to give their consent or permission. You will accept my permission and take my conditions very seriously or you won't even live long enough to regret it." Jane hissed warningly. Loki grinned up at Thor.

"I like her." he smirked. Thor rolled his eyes.

"She does not jest, brother." The blonde warned.

"I realize as such. I will accept your…permission." He agreed hesitantly. Jane smiled widely.

"Good." Her smile faded. "Thor and I are going to head home. You need anything?" she offered, standing after pressing a quick kiss to Darcy's forehead.

"No, thank you." Loki declined respectfully, almost flinching as Thor's grip tightened painfully, for a moment before they both slipped out of the room. "You are a terrible liar." Loki smiled affectionately, twirling a strand of her hair between his thumb and forefinger.

"Wasn't lying. Acting. There's a difference. You planning to help me out here?" she asked impatiently as she struggled to sit up without sharp pain slicing through her body. His smirk melted away and he sighed.

"Couldn't you just sit still?" he asked halfheartedly. She glared at him until he caved and slid his arms underneath her and shifted her into an only slightly painful sitting position.

"I want to get out of here." She huffed.

"Well that's just too bad, love." His lips twitched with the effort of keeping a straight face with her hilariously murderous expression staring him in the face. The second the angry countenance disappeared and was replaced with pleading eyes and pouty lips, Loki knew he was done for.

"Please, babe." She whispered hopefully, twisting her hand in his, to stroke the back of his hand with her thumb.

"Babe?" he laughed outright.

"You got a problem with it?" she arched an eyebrow curiously.

"Not at all." He smirked.

"Take me home." She ordered. Loki swallowed thickly.

"You dare order the would-be king of Asgard?" he asked in quiet mock disbelief.

"Yep." She grinned.

"Would you be willing to compromise?" he asked, rubbing his forehead. Darcy opened her mouth to whine in protest before he silenced her with a dismissive wave. "I will bring you home tonight. Allow the healers to be sure you are alright. Remain under their care for a little longer." He continued. "Please." He added, looking up at her with pleading emerald eyes.

"You're a dirty cheater." She slapped his chest weakly.

"I take pride in that." He winked tiredly.

"Fine." She growled. "But you have to entertain me." She muttered, moving to cross her arms only to hiss in pain. Loki sighed and nodded, rubbing her arm lightly until she got her breathing under control. He smirked at her once she was breathing steadily.

"Can you keep a secret Miss Lewis?" he asked mysteriously. She rolled her eyes and nodded. He squeezed his eyes shut for half a second, stealing himself to go through with it before he pulled away from her, moving to the other side of the hospital room with Darcy staring at him like he'd grown another head the whole time. He sighed in resignation, closing his eyes and letting the cold win over.

He held his breath, waiting for her exclamation of horror. Why had he even showed her? She would panic and he would be responsible for her going into cardiac arrest. She would leave him once she saw the monster she had fallen in love with for who- _what _he really was. His body started to shake with terrified realization. He couldn't…

"That. Is. So…_cool._" She grinned, shifting on the pillows to get a better look, hands involuntarily grabbing a fistful of the sheets. Loki eased his eyes open, looking at her with heart wrenching hope. "Dude…seriously that is literally like the coolest thing ever." She said seriously, eyes roving over the jotun patterns on his blue skin.

"Is your temperature as it should be?" he asked gruffly.

"I don't have a fever." She muttered impatiently. "How come you didn't show me before?" she asked, sounding almost offended as she studied his changed features.

"Couldn't find an acceptable time." He answered noncommittally.

"Come here, babe." She muttered softly once she understood the answer. He sighed and moved to the bedside again, staying utterly still as her pale hand reached out to touch him. "Kiss me." She added confidently. His red eyes widened and he froze. No pun intended. "You don't scare me. Now kiss me, Frosty." She reiterated, tugging lightly on his shirt. He smiled suddenly and kissed her gently. "I still love you." She promised when he pulled back.

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	16. Would've walked away, but you're falling

**I'M REALLY REALLY SORRY ITS TAKING FOREVER. **

**DEDICATED TO VICTORIA SCARLET FOR GUESSING CORRECTLY - WALK AWAY BY THE SCRIPT. **

"Are you sure you would not be willing to remain here a little longer, my love?" Loki asked dryly, watching Darcy struggle to get up only to fall back into the pillows with a half pained half frustrated whimper.

"Are you going to help me or not?" she grumbled back. He sighed and nodded resignedly.

"Lie still." He ordered. She stilled instantly, staring at him with wide pained eyes. Loki leaned over and slowly slid his arms under her achy body. She groaned, clenching her hands into fists as his arms put excruciating pressure on her broken ribs. He bit his lip and winced guiltily. "Are you alright Darcy?" he asked softly, shifting her slightly in his arms. She nodded slowly, tilting her head against his chest only to flinch back from the pain of the split skin from her captor's fist. He move one hand to hover over her broken ribs, letting his hand turn faintly blue until cold was radiating from his fingers, easing her throbbing pain if only barely. She sighed in slight relief and relaxed a little more.

"Where're Blondie and Jane?" she asked groggily as Loki started walking out of the hospital room, trying to keep his steps as even as possible.

"They left for the house." He answered easily as he walked out of a side exit, into the hospital parking lot.

"How are we getting home?" she blinked slowly. He nodded his head towards the van parked off to the side.

"Thor returned to, as I believe you would say, give us a ride." He nodded at Thor as they approached the car. The oversized prince, dressed in a simple red long sleeved shirt and jeans climbed out of the car to walked around to the passenger side and open the door for his brother.

"Thanks, Goldilocks." Darcy yawned as Loki tried to slide into the seat without hurting her. He ignored her ragged breathing as he readjusted her on his lap.

"You're very welcome, Lady Darcy." Thor replied slowly before slamming the door shut and walking back around to the driver's seat. Loki had Darcy positioned so the she could lean her head on his shoulder without irritating the bandaged cut along her temple with his frozen hand resting loosely on her abdomen. Thor got in behind the wheel, putting the vehicle in reverse with a somewhat unsure expression.

"Where's Jane?" Darcy mumbled through the haze of drugs.

"She remained at the house. I believe she stated that she had some…" he hesitated. "_Internet mail_ to reply to." He squinted a little in concentration as he drove the car along the memorized path to his girlfriend's house.

They drove in silence until they drove up to the house. Loki lifted his head away from the window and repressed the cold, his hands turning pale again. Darcy's eyes fluttered open as the engine cut. The three people in the car had their attention captured a moment later by a frantic Jane pounding on the window. Thor immediately threw himself out of the car, pulling Jane into his arms.

"What is it, love?" Thor asked anxiously while Darcy and Loki listened quietly.

"SHIELD. They know he's here." She gasped breathlessly. "They had their radar out for him and his transformation in the hospital set it off. They're coming." She finished.

Loki squeezed his eyes shut as uncharacteristic panicked tears welled in Darcy's eyes. Her hands started shaking as she clutched at his shirt.

"I just got you back." She huffed. "They can't take you." He shook his head and grinned cockily.

"Mortals." He reminded simply. She glared at him.

"I'm serious." She hissed.

"So am I."

"Well act like it." She growled. He arched an eyebrow. "You're acting like its no big deal. And its probably the drugs making me act like a clingy teenage girl…" she spoke the sentence through gritted teeth. "But right now it feels like you don't give a _crap _about staying out of jail." She held her breath while Loki just stared at her.

"That is absurd." He rolled his eyes.

"Is it?" she challenged.

"It is. And before you interrupt me again, my love, think about what you are saying." He cautioned. "You imply that I would not care about you enough to remain out of custody, do you not?" he assumed quietly as he brushed her hair away from her eyes with a gentle hand.

"I hate you." She muttered dejectedly. Loki chuckled a little and kissed her shoulder.

"_That _is my intended meaning behind absurd, Darcy Lewis." He whispered. She blinked at him and nodded slowly, suddenly aware of her best friend in the arms of her godly boyfriend, covering her mouth with one hand to stifle the sobs that Loki and Darcy were bringing on.

"Get a grip, Jane." She rolled her blue eyes and tried to get up only hiss in pain and crush Loki's hand in hers. Loki waited it out, rubbing her upper back gently, keeping his lips glued to her forehead. "I'm ok." She panted. Loki growled incredulously and got out of the car, keeping Darcy close to his chest as he carried her lightweight body up to the door which Jane raced ahead to open for him. He set her down on the couch and slid onto the floor, resting his hand over her rib cage again, allowing his hand to turn faintly blue as Thor sat down in the adjacent chair, pulling Jane onto his lap.

The scientist stared calculatingly at her nearly unconscious best friend, spinning her engagement ring around her finger.

"What's the plan?" Darcy mumbled softly. Loki clenched his jaw and moved his thumb back and forth over the base of her sternum.

"The plan is for you to sleep, my love. We will devise a plan and enlighten you when you are once again aware of what is going on." Loki said, dreading her reaction.

"In your dreams, Laufeyson." She ground her teeth together in frustration. He sighed and ran his other hand up her neck behind her ear, pinching a nerve there that he had learned from the victim herself would knock her out. Darcy immediately went limp, eyes shutting instantly as she passed out.

"She is going to _kill_ you." Jane gaped, staring at her now fully unconscious best friend. Loki shrugged.

"It's worth it if she is able to get some sleep from it." He replied distantly, staring at her somewhat peaceful form. Jane shook her head.

"Alright then focus Romeo. What do you suggest?" she asked in a very Darcy-like manner.

"My brothers-an-sister-in-arms will undoubtedly be included in this attack, Loki." Thor warned.

"You mean the Avengers?" Jane glanced up at him bemusedly. Thor nodded solemnly. "Is there going to be a conflict of interests here, Thor?" Jane asked calmly, daring him to choose his teammates over her and his brother. He shook his head once.

"I will fight with my family." He answered quietly before looking down at Jane's hands. She sighed and kissed his cheek.

"It'll be ok, honey." She murmured softly. Loki cleared his throat. "Right." She glanced back at the dark haired god.

"Darcy will remain out of the line of fire. I will not put her in danger again, especially in her current state." Jane cocked her head sympathetically.

"There's nothing you can do that will hold her back, Loki. This is different the Thanos." Jane tried to reason with him.

"She will remain out of danger." He repeated firmly. Jane rolled her eyes but let it go.

"There's no way we can take down all of the Avengers and half of SHIELD." She sighed, rubbing her forehead. The room went dead silent as its occupants got lost in their own ideas. Thor was the first to speak.

Jane could tell by the miserable look on his face that whatever he was about to suggest was not only difficult but going against something he solely believed in. She had seen that look once before when he had told her his father was dead because of him. He was about to break one of his personal rules.

"I will lead them away from his location." He spoke hoarsely.

"You're going to _lie _to them?" Jane asked incredulously. He nodded.

"Loki, you will take Jane and Lady Darcy to the Bifrost. I will meet with you there." He continued, his expression going hard; _battle mode. _

"Where are we to go from there, brother?" Loki asked warily.

"We're going home." Thor responded, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. Loki's eyes went wide.

"Home as in…" Jane swallowed thickly.

"We're going to Asgard."

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